by Sara Swanson

June is nationally recognized as Pride Month to honor the LGBTQ+ community and commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Like communities all over the area, Manchester is hosting a Pride event this summer!

On Saturday, June 27, from 3pm to 11pm, there will be a Manchester Pride Day Celebration with a variety of events to celebrate and educate, held at Dragonfly and Birch, 115 East Main Street. There will be Pride-themed swag, treats, and information tables, and events. All events other than the 18+ rave are FREE to attend. 

The 2026 Manchester Pride T-shirt is $20 and comes in a variety of colors!

Purchase a Manchester Pride t-shirt ahead of time at Steele Grafix!! Go to https://steelegrafix.itemorder.com/shop/. Enter in the code “manpride26″. 

3pm – 4pm Ally 101 Class: Family friendly! Learn how to be a supportive and effective ally. Ask questions in a supportive environment. Find resources to learn more and to support the LGQBTIA people in your life.

4:30pm – 5:30pm Book Discussion: Open to everyone! Find out about different books, fiction and non-fiction, that provide information and support to, and describe the life experiences of all ages of people in the community. Bring your own suggestions to share. Dragonfly and Birch will take orders for any books you are interested in purchasing for 25% off list price.

6pm – 7pm Youth Dance Party!! DJ Auld will be keeping the beat going for our kids to enjoy dancing in a safe space.

8pm – 11pm 18+ Pride Rave $25 DJ Auld will pump up the jams for adults 18 and over. Celebrate Pride Month in a safe and intimate setting. SPACE IS LIMITED SO PURCHASING TICKETS AHEAD IS RECOMMENDED. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. IDs will be checked at the door.

The Ally 101 class and book discussion will be led and moderated by Colleen McKenney. Manchester resident, McKenney is a PhD candidate of Human Sexuality with 17 years of experience in prevention of and response to discrimination and harassment. 

McKenney stated, “Let’s remember PRIDE began as a protest and a riot to demand that discrimination against LGBTQIA+ folks stop, and that our rights be upheld. Many of us alive today know what it was like, and is still like, to face discrimination and oppression. Many of us remember having to hide who we were for fear of our safety, livelihoods, and family and community reactions. Things had improved but now we’re backsliding. Our rights are under threat legislatively, and people seem to feel more emboldened to be hateful towards LGBTQIA+ folks, especially the trans community. That means it’s as important as ever to be visible, to stand up for ourselves and our communities, and to demand our equality. We’re not going anywhere and we are your neighbors, family members, peers, and colleagues. This event is an important part of coming together in celebration of who we are and in support of human rights for all.”

This Manchester event is one of many happening this summer in our area. Already occurring earlier this June were the Chelsea Pride Picnic and Festival, Milan Pride Parade, Paint & Pride in Tecumseh.

Coming up:

• Pride Fest, June 20, 3pm to 10pm, The Arboretum Music Venue, Saline
• Gay Hike, June 24, 9am, Van Curler Preserve North, Dexter
• Ypsi Pride, July 18, 2pm to 10pm, Depot Town Ypsilanti
• Ann Arbor Pride, August 1, noon to 9pm, downtown Ann Arbor
• Jackson Pride, August 29, 2pm to 8pm, Horace Blackman Park, Jackson
• Lenawee Pride, September 25, 3pm to 8pm, downtown Adrian