Venture to Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids on June 17 from noon to 10 p.m. for the 2023 Grand Rapids Pride Festival, a celebration that brings LGBTQ+ community members, LGBTQ+ businesses, allies, and organizations together to celebrate diversity, inclusion and the beautiful and vast LGBTQ+ community.
The festival—celebrating its 35th year in 2023—is a free event and has grown into one of the largest one-day events in the city. The event website describes the festival as an effort to create a safe, open and inclusive environment for Grand Rapids community members to celebrate who they are.
Festival attendees can anticipate a variety of entertainment throughout the day, including performances from the Brunchettes of MI Drag Brunch, Beauty Beyond Drag Productions, a headlining performance from musician Robin S. and more.
The festival will also have a Family Fun Zone, thanks to Family Futures, Meijer and Grand Rapids Children's Museum. Here, festival attendees could play an exciting "Does It Sink or Float" game to engage curious young minds, capture your group or child in polaroid pictures and decorate them together at "Proud to be Portraits," in addition to activities like coloring pages, giant Jenga, a bean bag toss, rock painting, chalkboard drawing and more.
In addition to being a celebratory event, GR Pride Festival serves as the biggest fundraising event for the Grand Rapids Pride Center each year, allowing the center—a 501(c)(3) non-profit—to host a variety of support and social groups for LGBTQ+ and ally communities.
Learn more about the event and how you can get involved with the Grand Rapids Pride Center and what to expect at this year's festival by visiting grpride.org.
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for West Michigan Woman.
