News

Written By Lansing Pride

Lansing, MI - The public is invited to join Lansing Pride along with local resources and organizations to be in community as we process the results of the 2024 Election and its impacts, in particular, to the LGBTQIA+ community. 

The queer experience is no stranger to resilience. For many, the struggle for existence and recognition has been a lifelong battle. We have spent our lives fighting for existence and recognition. In this moment, we are reminded that we are not alone in our fight. 

As we move beyond the 2024 Election we continue to lean on one another and our resilience to exist, thrive and celebrate. 

Join us as we come together as a community to offer and receive support, show unity, and promote hope. Local organizations joining the space include Free Mom Hugs, Lansing Area AIDS Network, Suits in the City, Salus Center and others.

“Resilience in Community” will be held this Sunday, 10 November 2024 from 3 - 5 p.m. at The Fledge, located at 1300 Eureka St., Lansing, MI 48912. The event will be open house style, and the community is invited to join us as they are able. Free Uber rides, courtesy of Lansing Pride, can be claimed through this link: https://r.uber.com/rCBvDofI2wr. Remarks will be given at 3:30 by local community leaders. 

For more information visit www.lansingpride.org. 

Written By Lansing Pride

Lansing, MI - Lansing Pride is proud to announce its third annual Festival celebrating the incredible LGBTQ+ community, on June 22nd in Old Town Lansing. The Lansing Pride Festival is an opportunity to honor and celebrate LGBTQIA+ community, and is open to both those who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. 

“This festival, once again, offers us all a day to celebrate who we are with dancing, music, a family area, and performances of all kinds,” said Ben Dowd, president of the Lansing Pride Association. “2023 was only our second year, and we saw nearly 10,000 people attend. The support from our community, volunteers, sponsors, and local government officials makes it clear that we will see that again.”

2024 Highlights

Vendors - Over 180 vendors from mid-Michigan and beyond will be attending Lansing Pride this year with treats, swag, informational materials, and goods for purchase! 

Activities - The Family Area at this year’s festival will feature drag queen story hours, bubble activities, and more. Lansing Pride is a family friendly event and welcomes members of all ages to come and celebrate!

Entertainment - This year’s festival has an incredible line-up featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race star, Loosey LaDuca! A Meet-and-Greet with Miss LaDuca is also available to those who sign up in advance. Lansing Pride will close out the evening with a great show by Star Farm starting at 8pm.

Beer Tent - While Turner Street is part of the downtown social district, and attendees can feel free to purchase drinks from participating bars and restaurants, Lansing Pride will also have a fully stocked beer tent offering a variety of beverages including Long Drink and Duke & Dame whiskey.

A special thank you to this year’s entertainment sponsors: Capital Area Transportation Authority, CASE Credit Union, Consumers Energy, European Wax Center, For Good Foundation, High Society Cannabis, Red Cedar Counseling and Verizon.

Written By Lansing Pride

LANSING, MI - April  5, 2023 – Lansing Pride, the community-based non-profit organization in its second year of supporting the area's LGBTQIA+ community, will host the 2023 Lansing Pride Festival in Old Town Lansing on Saturday, June 17. Building on its over 3000 attendees last year, this year will add more vendors, more performances, and expects an even larger crowd to attend.

Like last year, the festival is free to all and will feature live music and performances, as well as food from local vendors. The festival will overlap with the 2023 Lansing Juneteenth Celebration, allowing attendees to recognize the history and connections of Black and LGTBQIA+ communities. 

“We want everyone to come together and celebrate who we are as a community ,” said Ben Dowd, President of Lansing Pride. “We work closely with the community and Lansing local businesses which results in a highly promoted and visible event,” Dowd went on to say. “This year’s event shares the weekend with the 517 Juneteenth Weekend, and we are proud to be working with them to align these two celebrations.”

This year’s 517 Juneteenth Weekend will include four days of events, musical acts, and community outreach from June 15th - 18th. “The large intersection between the Pride community and the Black community will benefit the most from our sharing this weekend, and we are excited to be bringing together all humans under an umbrella of connection and celebration,” said Mikeyy Austin, Founder and Director at OURSpace, the group behind the 517 Juneteenth Weekend.

Lansing Pride is excited to welcome all of our new and returning vendors, sponsors, and supporters representing many parts of Lansing and the State of Michigan. “Vendors from last year are returning with a fervor that we are so excited to see, and spots are filling fast,” said Linda Sarnelli, Director at Lansing Pride. Parties interested in joining this year can find more information at the Lansing Pride website: https://www.lansingpride.org

The Lansing Pride organization is supported by volunteers from all over the state. Nearly 150 people helped bring 2022 to its success last year, and this year the organization has doubled its volunteer base. To find out more about volunteering with Lansing Pride, visit us at https://www.lansingpride.org/volunteer

And just in case you couldn’t attend last year, the Lansing Pride Board recommends you remember your umbrella!

About Lansing Pride

As an organization, Lansing Pride’s goal is to bring Lansing’s independent LGBTQIA+ spaces together and foster a sense of love and true belonging. Lansing Pride was formed in 2021 out of the desire to both create a cohesive Lansing Pride Festival and to build closer and more intentional relationships. With an initial goal of having the first Lansing Pride Festival in 2022, the community came together to make it an overwhelming success.

The 2023 Lansing Pride Board includes local leaders from across industries with diverse specializations, and is building on last year’s successful inaugural festival, anticipating thousands of attendees this year and even more memories to last a lifetime.

About 517 Juneteenth Weekend

The 517 Juneteenth Weekend is a unique opportunity for the Mid-Michigan region to celebrate Black culture, expression, and experiences. Attracting thousands of participants to Lansing’s REO Town Corridor, the 517 Juneteenth Weekend recognizes the emancipation of African-American slaves in the United States of America. 

Although Juneteenth has gained mainstream popularity in recent years, the celebration of culture, expression, and experience is nothing new in the 517. Ourspace (517) works as a bridge that connects Black arts and culture to the Lansing community at-large, creates platforms to promote Black-led businesses and entrepreneurship, provides high-quality programming that is free and accessible, and much more. 

Written By Lansing Pride

LANSING, MI, November 22, 2022 - The public is invited to join Lansing Pride organizers to remember the victims of the Club Q shooting over the past weekend.

In a unanimous decision, the board and committee members have agreed to honor those lost with a candlelight vigil, which will take place on Wednesday November 23rd at 6pm at Turner Mini Park (located on the corner of Caeser E Chavez and Turner Street in Old Town Lansing).
Partnering with Lansing Pride to put on this event include Suits in the City, Lansing Area AIDS Network (LAAN), and Salas Center. Other organizations who may contribute are currently pending.

“In response to the tragedy at Club Q in Colorado, Lansing Pride wants our LGBTQ community in the greater Lansing area to know that we are here for support during this difficult time.” says Board Chair Ben Dowd. “We know it is important to come together to recognize and grieve such a horrible event and stand in solidarity together for the concerns in our local community.”

Speakers for the vigil are currently being scheduled. Those who are interested in participating in the vigil may meet at the mini park shortly before 6pm. There will be candles provided by the group as well as luminaries that will bear the names of those affected by this tragedy.

Written By Lansing Pride

Lansing’s Inaugural Pride Festival to Feature Uplifting and Family Friendly Activities

Lansing, MI, July 26, 2022 – Lansing’s Old Town will be alive on Saturday August 13th with the sights and sounds of Pride from 1pm – 10pm. The single day event is founded by the iconic Lansing based drag queen, Delicious. Lansing Pride is centered on celebration, inclusion, and positivity.

The idea for Lansing Pride came to Delicious during COVID when gay bars around the world started shutting down, including Lansing’s staple-Spiral, where Delicious had performed since it opened. “[After Spiral closed] I decided something has to happen.” Says Delicious, “I always wanted to start my own Pride so I talked to my husband and he said ‘Let’s do it.’ It was time for the community to come together and enjoy each other. I felt it was time to celebrate each other.”

Lansing Pride will feature more nearly 100 vendors and food trucks with something for everyone. Vendors include Salus Center, Samaritas Foster Care, LanSING Out Chorus (who will also be performing the National Anthem), along with an array of local vendors. Event goers will have a wide variety of food options as food trucks will enhance the dining options available in Old Town.

Music and entertainment will be constant during the festival as Delicious has cultivated a wide variety of entertainers and performers. Lansing Pride will have two drag shows one at 2:00 and one at 7:00. The main stage will also feature a performances from Michigan native James Taylor (not to be confused with the Fire and Rain singer/songwriter) along with other musical performances. A complete entertainment schedule is available on the festival’s website.

Along with entertainment on the main stage, Lansing Pride will feature a family area that will operate from 1pm-7pm and will be geared toward youth. This area will feature putt-putt golf, bubble entertainment, an animal exhibit by Preuss Pets among other great fun.The Waverly Robotics Club will also be giving demonstrations on their student built robots. Free books will be offered courtesy of Resistance Book Store.

The festival will be held on Turner Street in Old Town on Saturday August 13th from 1pm-10pm. Admission is free, with donations gladly being accepted throughout the festival area. A beverage tent will be available for those 21+ and will feature drinks by Bell’s Brewery and American Fifth Spirits.

For more information about Lansing Pride, please visit www.lansingpride.org