Nestled on Detroit’s east side and full of historic homes, restaurants and coffee shops, the Indian Village and West Village neighborhoods have become a destination for the LGBTQ community to take up residence.
Indian Village has been a long-time home to affluent LGBTQ professionals, and businesses like Marrow, The Red Hook and Two Birds are queer-owned or LGBTQ-friendly.
To honor and celebrate the queer residents who make up the area, friends and Village residents Steth Huebner and Xavier Kimbrough launched Village Pride Detroit last year, which highlighted several businesses in the neighborhood and featured entertainment from local artists.
“I saw that there were other events happening during Pride Month, and we said, ‘What can we do to make that happen?’ And so, we put our heads together,” Kimbrough said. “It’s the combination of preserving what’s happened over here (in the Villages), but understanding that there also is a larger scale of queer people in the city.”
Now, the event is back for its second year, taking place 2-8 p.m. Saturday at the Village Biergarten, 1420 Van Dyke. Performers include Detroit DJs Amino, Kindle, John Collins, and Caleb Kruzel, with an after-party from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Two Birds. The bar will also provide drinks at the biergarten, Huebner said.
Attendees can also patronize businesses in the neighborhood collaborating with Village Pride Detroit like The Red Hook, Norm’s Diner, Belle Isle Pizza and Sister Pie. Fifty percent of the total profits will go to LGBTQ youth organization the Ruth Ellis Center, with the other 50% going toward next year’s Village Pride Detroit, Huebner said. For those who don’t have the money to dine in any of the establishments, some restaurants will be giving away free food, he said.
About 30 businesses are supporting or participating in the event.
“From Agnes and Van Dyke down to Agnes and Parker, all of the businesses have developed this collaborative and supportive relationship with us, outside of one, which is pretty impressive,” Huebner said.
Kimbrough added that the owners from the Detroit-based mocktail and botanical soda company Casamara Club approached him and Huebner about being a part of the event and employees from boutique Eugenie will host a table for the Ruth Ellis Center.
“I feel really inspired because during Pride Month, you just want to know that you have support,” Kimbrough said. “The way that people have shown up for us has demonstrated where their hearts are at.”
Pride’s origins go back to 1969 when a police raid at gay bar The Stonewall Inn in New York led to six days of protests. Huebner noted that Pride events have always been a form of protest, and this year has extra significance.
President Donald Trump and his administration continues to enact multiple executive orders rolling back LGBTQ protections and Michigan’s political leaders have introduced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills in the state legislature this year.
Due to the heightened political climate, Village Pride Detroit will have a safety team made up of community members monitoring the area, Kimbrough said.
“We want it to be fun and that’s something that’s really important to us, but it’s critical that we don’t forget that there’s still work that needs to be done,” Huebner said.
More Pride events around Detroit to check out this summer:
June 7-8: Motor City Pride
Michigan’s biggest pride event will be happening at Hart Plaza Saturday and Sunday. The celebration will feature more than 150 entertainers across three stages, including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” competitor” Jackie Cox, LGBTQ chorus Sing Out Detroit and Sabin’s Motor City Drag. The parade kicks off at noon on Sunday at the corner of Fort and Griswold. Tickets are $6 on Evenbrite.
June 8: The Lesbian Social Pride’s Cielo Rooftop Takeover
Pop-up event curators Lesbian Social Detroit is hosting two events to kick off Pride Month. Theannual Pride block party is sold out, but folks can still get tickets to the Cielo Rooftop takeover, beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Cambria Hotel downtown. Tickets are $23 on Eventbrite.
June 15: Detroit Historic Pride: A Walking Tour
Detroit History Tours is hosting a Pride-themed walking tour from 12-2 p.m. starting at the corner of Griswold and W. Congress St. downtown. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about Detroit’s LGBTQ history, from the city’s first gay bars, to house parties that supported the Black LGBTQ community. Tickets are $29.50.
June 21: Howdy Fest
Those ready to dust off their cowboy boots and line dance the night away can check out this LGBTQ-friendly party beginning at 5 p.m. at The Old Miami. The event includes four hours of line dance and two-stepping with Stud Country, a Los Angeles-based queer country western line dancing event. Other performances include Tumbleweed, Winestoned Cowboys, Detroit Party Marching Band and Iris Marlowe. A drag show, barbecue, contests and prizes will also be part of the fun. Tickets are $23 on Eventbrite.
July 22-27: Hotter Than July
Organization LGBT Detroit is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its annual Pride event, which historically includes a picnic at Palmer Park. Other events throughout the week include a candlelight vigil at Palmer Park, a film festival at the Northwest Activities Center, a mayoral candidate forum at the University of Michigan Detroit Center and a worship service at One Church Detroit.