June is Pride Month, and Metro Detroit communities are already gearing up for one of the area’s largest Pride celebrations on Saturday in downtown Ferndale.
Just like last weekend’s techno extravaganza, Movement, community Pride festivals are just as much about the pre-parties, after-parties, and during-parties as they are about the marquee event. The bars and restaurants along Nine Mile near Woodward are joining in the fun as drag queens, politicians, community activists and families celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
One of the pre-parties for Ferndale Pride is a new event Friday night at Orchard nightclub from Dirty Matriarch, a group that wants to offer something that’s missing in the local bar landscape.
The new nightlife promoters launched last fall, offering a place for women to meet women. Detroit has gay bars, but understandably, they’re largely geared toward men.
“We just wanted to give back to the community,” says Magan Mourad, who founded Dirty Matriarch with her fiancé, Dayna Mathews, last year. The pair were on season two of the popular Netflix reality show “The Ultimatum: Queer Love.”
Their buzz from the show allowed the two Michigan natives enough fame to make appearances at clubs across the country. Mourad said as she and Mathews started to travel around doing events at lesbian bars, they wondered if they could offer something similar in Metro Detroit.
“We’re just thinking, why don’t we have anything like this in Detroit?” she said, adding that while there are certainly lesbian events in Detroit, they were impressed with how they were done in cities like Chicago. “We were just a really big fan of how it was set up and how organized it was and how intentional it was.”
“Even though we have Ferndale, we have all these diverse places; there aren’t very many parties or bars that are exclusively for women,” she said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do, we’re trying to bring that back.”
Friday night’s Dirty Matriarch event is serving as a kickoff to Ferndale Pride’s weekend of events, but it’s also an important location for the couple. They not only met at Orchid, but held their first Dirty Matriarch party there last year.
The six-hour party will have DJ Cash Era from Chicago, plus DJ Hemlok and DJ Myint from Detroit.
“I think what we’re looking for with Pride — and this is our intention with every event that we host — is it’s all about the community. We want people to expand their relationships, whether it’s meeting somebody they could date, meeting new friends, having friend groups mesh together. It’s just a warm environment where people can communicate and meet each other,” she said, adding that partial proceeds will be donated to Ferndale Pride.
She also said that while queer women are the focus, everyone is welcome at their Pride pre-party event.
“We want to expand it to our allies,” she said. “You know, we call it ‘the girls, gays and theys and allies.’ We just really want to set the tone for the weekend and emphasize what Pride is all about.”
20 Pride Month events around Metro Detroit
The Art of Drag: The Detroit Institute of Arts’ first-ever drag show is a night of high glam, full glitz and big personalities. Audience participation and all ages are welcome. 7 p.m. Fri. Free with general admission, which is free for tri-county residents. 5200 Woodward, Detroit. Dia.org.
Ferndale Pride Kick-Off Party: Dirty Matriarch presents a Ferndale Pride kick-off party with DJs and special performers, hosted by Magan and Dayna from Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Queer Love.” 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Fri. $24.20. Orchid Theatre, 141 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale. dirtymatriarch.com.
Ferndale Pride: This year’s activities include dancing, live performances, visual arts, conversations, animal adoptions, and more, including kids’ activities and a climbing wall. 12:30-10 p.m. Sat. Downtown Ferndale. Ferndalepride.com.
Goth Pride: DJs and dancing with the local Goth community. Event proceeds will benefit the Jim Toy Community Center. 9 p.m. June 1. $5 cover charge. Necto, 516 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. (734) 994-5835. Necto.com.
Pride Art Exhibition: Presented by PFLAG of Clinton Township, this juried visual art competition and exhibition features 45 works by 28 LGBTQ+ artists in celebration of Pride Month. June 6-Aug. 1. Anton Art Center, Second Level Gallery, 125 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens. (586) 469-8666. Theartcenter.org.
Motor City Pride: “Pride is for everyone,” is the motto of this popular downtown Detroit gathering, which is one of the largest Pride events in the state. The theme of this year’s parade, which steps off at noon on June 7 at Griswold and Jefferson, is “Unshaken: Rooted in Pride. Leading with Love reflects the resilience, joy and strength of Michigan’s LGBTQ+ community.” 1-9 p.m. June 6 and noon-7 p.m. June 7. $5 admission for ages 12 and older. Hart Plaza, 1 W. Hart Plaza, Detroit. motorcitypride.org.
Arts & Pride Festival: A family-friendly festival welcome to all, this event has arts and crafts, drag queen story time, karaoke and more. 1-5 p.m. June 7. Civic Center Park, 300 W. 13 Mile, Madison Heights.
Pride Prom: The Fire and Ice Pride Prom is for ages 12-19 with dancing, music, games, prizes, photo opportunities and more. 6:30-9:30 June 12. $10. Howell Opera House, 123 W. Grand River, Howell. qflivco.org/upcoming-events/pride-prom-2026.
Dirty Matriarch’s Summer Kick Off Pool Party: Listen to DJs, socialize and get a tan at this event for women from Dirty Matriarch. 1-6 p.m. June 20. $32.51. Common Pub, 5440 Cass, Detroit. dirtymatriarch.com.
Pride Night Out: Celebrate Pride Month with a stroll through downtown Farmington, visiting and supporting local businesses. 4-8 p.m. June 20. Downtown Farmington. instagram.com/farmingtonalliance.
Get Your Detroit Queer History Straight: Preservation Detroit and Gigi’s will host a lecture on LGBTQ History in Detroit from the 1930s to the 1960s with local historian and tour guide Michael Boettcher. 6 p.m. June 18. Gigi’s, 16920 W. Warren, Detroit. Preservationdetroit.org/lectures.
Downriver Pride: Artists, vendors, food trucks and more will gather in downtown Wyandotte. Details are still coming together. June 19-20. Near Bishop Park, Downtown Wyandotte. downriverpride.com.
Redford Theatre: Along with the gender-bending musical comedy starring Julie Andrews, “Victor / Victoria” from 1982, the Redford will also have drag queen bingo on June 19. $15. 17360 Lahser, Detroit. redfordtheatre.com.
Grosse Pointe Pride: Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Pride parade is a family-friendly gathering with performances, face painting and a march down Kercheval. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. June 20. Starts near Richard Elementary, 176 McKinley, Grosse Pointe Farms. wegp.org.
Lansing Pride: Along with pageants, flag-raising and other events in the weeks leading up to the festival, Lansing Pride will have entertainment, including Trinity the Tuck from “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.” 1-9 p.m. June 27. Old Town Lansing. lansingpride.org.
The Senate Theater: This historic theater will honor Pride Month with screenings of “The Cockettes: A Documentary” and “Multiple Maniacs” on June 27. 6424 Michigan, Detroit. Senatetheater.com.
Berkley Pride: Dance to live musicians and DJs, plus enjoy food trucks, vendors, a lounge for teenagers and stuff for kids to do. 1-5 p.m. June 28. Free admission and parking. Between Robina and Griffith, south of 12 Mile, Downtown Berkley. downtownberkley.com/berkley-events/berkley-pride.
Hotter Than July: An LGBT+ event with singers, dancers, rappers and other talent, plus an art and film festival and vendors. This community gathering dates back to 1996. July 23-26. Detroit. More details at lgbtdetroit.org/hotterthanjuly.
Pride Royal Oak: Along with more than 75 vendors, food trucks and entertainment, this annual Pride event marks the return of the second annual Queer Author Panel, plus a fashion show and a kids’ zone. One of the scheduled entertainers is Monet X Change of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fame and a contestant on season four of “The Traitors.” 1-11 p.m. July 25. Centennial Commons, Royal Oak. prideroyaloak.com.
Macomb County Pride: This year’s theme is “Colors of Courage.” Details are to be announced. Noon-6 p.m. Aug. 8. Main Street, Downtown Mount Clemens. macombcountypride.com.
Transgender Pride in the Park: Celebrating its 26th anniversary, this annual gathering has a picnic, vendor area and a stage with speakers, including Mayor of Ferndale Raylon Leaks-May. Noon-6 p.m. Aug. 22. Free. 1900 Orchard, Ferndale. transgendermichigan.org/transgender-pride.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ferndale Pride kicks off a summer of community-focused celebrations
Reporting by Melody Baetens, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
