June 1, 2013. Neighborhood pride events. Street festival on W Nine Mile Road plus related events and activities throughout the week. Related events include the Southeast Michigan Dyke March, the Rainbow 5k Walk/Run, multiple club and bar events, “alley” and patio parties, dinners, art shows, and other events. Festivities expected to attract 10,000-15,000 people.
June 8-9, 2013, annual festival & parade in Hart Plaza in downtown Motor City, with parade, riverside festival, beer garden, picnic, and more. See more info at their website.
July 14, 2013, annual picnic - in 2012 was 10am-8pm at Salt River Park. Music, entertainment, BBQs & grills welcome, top DJs, food vendors, or BYO food & drinks, Nickki Stevens shows, Chico's Boys male dancers, 16th Olympic, Bush Games with Summers Eve. See website for 2013 event plans:
Mid-June, 2013. Friday White Party in Lansing's Old Town. Saturday 10am gathering at Adado Riverfront Park, march from 11am to the steps of the Michigan Capitol, rally at the Capitol, Diversity Festival, vendor booths/ food options, live entertainment 2-11pm.
July 26-28, 2013 annual rodeo at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Belleville, Michigan. Calf Roping on Foot, Chute Dogging, Mounted Breakaway, Team Roping, Bareback Bronc, GRAND ENTRY; Goat Dressing, Pole Bending, Steer Riding, Barrel Racing, Steer Decorating, Bull Riding, Flag Racing, Wild Drag Race. Entertainment, food, drinks, vendor booths. See website for ongoing events.
Mid-September, 2013. Last year at Dunes Resort, 333 Blue Star Highway, Douglas, MI. Mr Michigan Leather XVIII leather contest, cocktail parties, pool cook-outs, vendors, workshops, afterhours, Western T-dance.
October 11-13, 2013 Official theme for the 28th annual MIC bowling tournament: Halloween Fright Night 2013. Bowling tournament at Super Bowl, 45100 Ford Rd, Canton, MI. Events include West side Bar Crawl and club nights.
To catch some interesting films in the area, see what's on at the Main Art Theatre (118 N Main St), in Royal Oak, with independent film and foreign language cinema on three screens; and the Burton Theatre (3420 Cass Ave), in the Chinatown/ Cass Corridor district, with classic art house, independent, LGBT, foreign and cult films.
The largest gay & lesbian resort and entertainment complex in the Midwest, (333 Washington, Douglas, MI) Dunes Resort is to the west from Detroit, at the sand dunes of Saugatuck, by Lake Michigan. On these 20 acres they offer a wide variety of hotel rooms, suites, cottages, and dorm-style rooms; also pool, hot tub, gay nightclub and cabaret with live entertainment and strippers, patio deck bar, game room and Sunday Tea Dances.
For theater and music lovers, the Royal Oak Music Theatre (318 W 4th St) is a favorite live music venue, also with comedy, off-Broadway theater, musicals, and dance productions. The Stagecrafters Baldwin Theatre (415 S Lafayette Ave) hosts a full season of plays and musicals, old and new, also in Royal Oak.
Who Wants Cake? is a fresh new theater company at the Ringwald Theatre (22742 Woodward Ave) in Ferndale, often with LGBT themes and characters. Two more companies with productions of interest: D2 Productions, which emerged from the combination of Dynamic Stage Productions and Destination Theatre; and the art4artillery Theatre Company on stage at the Russell Industrial Center (1600 Clay St).
