LGBTQ+ pride event Keweenaw Pridefest is returning for a second year on Saturday, June 1 at Hancock Beach, 2000 Jasberg St. The event will be held from 1 to 5 p.m.
There will be live music from Keweenaw artists such as Mr. Cesar, Deep Fried Butterfly, and Bees! Bees! Bees! Bees! Bees!, as well as Rat Bath, from Milwaukee, WI. The all-ages event will have free admission and is open to the public, rain or shine.
Local organizations will be sharing information with attendees at community tables, and food will be available for purchase from food trucks. There will be a limited amount of bottled water and prepackaged snacks, free of charge.
This year’s theme, Here and Queer, represents pride in both the Keweenaw community and personal identities.
“It can sometimes feel hard to be out and open in a place like the Keweenaw, or feel like there’s not many of us,” said Riley Powers, one of the Pridefest organizers. “But we wanted to highlight that there is so much love and support in rural spaces like the Keweenaw. It’s so wonderful to hear how excited the community was to hear we were going to return.”
Emily Stanton, another Keweenaw Pridefest organizer, stated that the event is a great start to the summer.
“It gives us a chance to showcase local talent and build community in the Keweenaw, both for LGBTQ+ Keweenaw residents and anyone wanting to kick off summer with great music and friendly faces from across the Upper Peninsula.”
The first Keweenaw Pridefest was held in 2023 by Keweenaw Queers, a grassroots domestic nonprofit. The organization, which started as a small collective of people interested in creating a local queer pride celebration, has applied for 501(c)(3) status.
The initial headcount for the first Keweenaw Pridefest was around 50 individuals, composed mostly of friends and family of the organizers. However, between 200 and 250 people attended. Attendance for Pridefest 2024 is expected to be even greater.
More information on Keweenaw Pridefest can be found at keweenawpridefest.org.
About Keweenaw Queers
We are a grassroots non-profit aiming to promote positive LGBTQIA+ representation in the Keweenaw. We work to promote education on queer identities and host events like the Keweenaw Pridefest and other events. As a group, we want to create an inclusive community for the LGBTQIA+ those in the Keweenaw.