Discover LGBTQ+ and ally events happening in West Michigan
🕖 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM
📍 Greenville Area Community Center
Join Voices of Flat River Pride for the Flat River Pride Pageant 2026 at the Greenville Area Community Center!
🕓 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
GR Queer Mixer is a low stakes queer social mixer aimed at starting new connections for friends, friends & dates, or more. This month's theme is "80's and 90's kids" 18+ event.
🕙 10:00 PM
Open dance floor all night long!
🕚 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Featuring her book Wedded to the Land, Joan will speak on Armed Forces Day about her memoir of organic farming and life as a military family.
🕥 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
📍 Flat River Pride Center
Join us for our May LGBTQIA+ Coffee Meetup at the Pride Center in Greenville!
🕛 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Queer Fibers Arts: free & open to the public, a low stress social hang that is drop in friendly.
🕒 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Make friends with other local bakers. Try a new bake and bring it to share. This event recurs monthly on the 3rd Sunday. Hosted by Mae from @bakeeffectgr.
🕔 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
15% off for students.
🕒 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
📍 Monument Park
Protest for a Progress is a group of local activists that strive to unite the 2S-LGBTQIA+community, assert our collective presence, demand justice, equity and change. Together, we amplify our voices, hold leadership accountable, and stand as a visible, unrelentingforce for progress and equality. We have the signs, just need hands to hold them. Pause for inclement weather
Show Night at Rumors!
🕑 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Calling all book lovers and crafty creatives! You all love the Junk Journals in store, and it’s time to bring your custom journal to life. At this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the art of sewn binding, how to add new pages to your book, and create interest pages that make your journal uniquely yours. Whether you’re continuing to learn more on your junk journal creations or joining fresh, this is your chance to dive deeper into your creative practice and connect with fellow book nerds. All supplies are included in your ticket, and are yours to keep for the crafting!
🕕 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In our history and our culture, lighting a beacon was a call for aid. In England, the beacons still stand, lit during times of honor and memorial. They’ve become centers of gathering, places that a community come together to celebrate, to remember, and to strengthen their bond. Beacon is our modern take, a monthly meetup for men in the Holland area who want a place to connect. The goal is to gather on the third Sunday of each month around this beacon: that honor and hope and possibility are the bonds of good men. Think of it as a chance to check in, swap stories, talk about books, hobbies, local happenings, vent about work, or just sit and listen. There’s no agenda, no pitch, no pressure. Sometimes we’ll offer a loose theme to kick things off, but mostly we let the discussion take its own path. It’s a space t…
🕙 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
📍 Fulton Street Market
Neko Taiyaki @ Merchants and Makers Grand Rapids Spring Market
🕖 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 House Rules Board Game Lounge
We put our heads together with our friends at Betka-Pope Productions, and we're starting a monthly trivia night! They call it Trivi-YAH, and we've heard it's a blast! Now on Mondays (1st, 3rd, and 5th of the month) from 7-9pm! And it's free to play! So start getting your team together, and let's do this!
🕠 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
For queer and neurodivergent folks. Chat, stim, unmask, or vibe quietly. Fidgets and drawing materials provided.
🕚 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
📍 B. C. Pizza Greenville
Support Voices of Flat River Pride with a visit to BC Pizza Greenville for GAY PIZZA MONDAY! A portion of sales supports the organization.
🕔 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Simple. Social. Sustainable.
🕡 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Come for the hearts, stay for the flames!
Crafting with Pride 3rd Tuesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 PM This group is for arts and crafts of all types, fiber arts, craft projects, drawing, calligraphy, painting miniatures, and suffering over computer code are all better with company. Our casual crafting group welcomes the whole 2-SLGBTQ+ community, as well as allies, from novice to expert, learners or teachers, to dedicate some time to your creative projects. Conversations are low-key and fun, and you can participate as much as you like, or simply relax in good company!
Cut out what inspires you from provided books and create something new. Guidance, support, and safe space provided. Hosted by art therapist Steve Edelman (@depth_arts_and_therapy).
Reading the Rainbow is Out On The Lakeshore’s inclusive book club, welcoming individuals of all genders and identities. We explore LGBTQ+ literature twice a month through engaging discussions and a variety of activities inspired by the books, including film screenings and author talks. Book List for 2026! January: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (Vintage Fiction, 159p) February: Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (Fiction/Romance, 176p) March: Tongue Breaker: Poems and Performance Texts by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Poetry, 170p) April: From Gay to Z: A Queer Compendium by Justin Elizabeth Sayre (Nonfiction, 240p) May: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar (Fiction, 223p) June: Brandon and Wilson at the Catch by Curtis McMillen (YA Fiction, author visit on June 17th!) July: The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz (Graphic Novel, 256p) August: Song of My Softening by Omotara James and Keith Haring: A Life for Art by Alexandra Kolossa (Poetry, 70p & Nonfiction, 95p) September: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo (YA Fiction, 414p) October: The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe (Fiction, 352p) November: Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness and Belonging from the LGBTQ+ Community and Friends edited by James Crews and Brad Peacock (Poetry, 186p) December: So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer,and Two-Spirit People of Color by Caro De Robertis (Nonfiction, 296p)
It's Amateur Cabaret Night!
🕕 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Dive into the powerful and personal story of Gender Queer with fellow book lovers and share your thoughts in a chill meetup.
Adult Game Night (open to those 18+) is held on the third Thursday of every month from 7pm to 9pm at the Community Center. All are welcome to join us for games, snacks, and meeting others in the community. Feel free to bring your own favorite game to share!
🕛 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
BYO lunch (optional). Low-key, non-intimidating Spanish practice. All proficiency levels welcome.
Hone your writing skills, new (optional) prompts every month, build community with other writers.
The first and third Thursday of every month is Kink Night at Rumors! Come dance and explore your kinks! Gear encouraged (Pups, Furries, Leather, and Morel) $5 Cover / $3 Cover with gear It's Thirsty Thursday at 10 PM! $3 Wells and $2 Domestic Bottles $2 off Premium Beer, Call, & Top Shelf $5 cover - only 21 and up admitted.
Expand your horizons!
📍 Versluis/Dickinson Park
OutFront Kalamazoo and OutLoud Sports are excited to announce our 2026 LGBTQIA+ & Allies Kickball League! Get ready for our upcoming 6-week season at one of our free play sessions, taking place on Thursday, May 7 and May 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Versluis/Dickinson Park. These free play sessions are open to ages 21 and up.
Queer Writers Social: free & open to the public, a low stress social hang that is drop in friendly.
🕔 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
📍 Riverside Park
Neko Taiyaki @ Food Truck Friday
🕢 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM
📍 Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership
Doctor Rue Voynich, a transgender woman, and her apprentice Fade travel the American Heartland dispensing herbal medications. Covertly, they perform abortions, which have been illegal since the days of the first woman president, Ivanka Trump. Fade tries to help local youth Hannah complete her abortion, using knowledge from an ancient manuscript, before her mother and the sheriff can nail them for the “attempted murder of an unborn person.”
🕒 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
HOWLR: Furry Social Mixer. Harnesses, pup hoods, and fursuits are welcome! Please keep it PG-13.
Sapphic refers to an interest or relationship between a femme-identifying person and those attracted to them, inclusive of all presentations for this event. This is a free event 2nd & 4th Saturdays 6-8pm. 18+. It's meant as a social hang for folks to get to know each other, have a safe alt space to celebrate who they are while meeting friends & new faces.
📍 Speciation Artisan Ales
Neko Taiyaki @ 1 Year Van-niversary
🕐 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
📍 Fairmount Dog Park
Doggie Day is back! Bring your dogs (big and small!) to Fairmount Park on Saturday, May 23 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. for this favorite Pre-Pride tradition. We’ll have racing games, a biscuit-eating contest, a “best trick” contest, and a photo both to take a picture with your pup. We will be grilling hot dogs (meat and vegetarian) while our furry friends sniff, bark, and play. There will be pools placed around the park, so please bring your own towels. And don’t worry, there will be games for humans too - complete with door prizes! New this year! Our Proud Families playgroup will have a kid’s corner with games and activities for littles! Don’t leave anyone at home, because Doggy Day is truly an event for the whole family.
Neko Taiyaki @ Queer Art Mart
🕑 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
📍 Comden-Towle Model Forest
Join Voices of Flat River Pride for our May Queer Hike at Comden-Towle Model Forest in Lakeview!
🕓 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
A meeting for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing LGBTQ+ community and those who want to practice their ASL skills.
🕑 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
📍 Founders Brewing Co.
Ready to tap into your brainpower? Join us every fourth Monday of the month for Trivi-YAH at Founders! 🪑 Tables open: 6:00 PM 🕖 Trivia starts pouring: 7:00 PM 👥 Teams of 1-6 players ❓ 5 rounds of general trivia 💰 Win up to $25 in gift cards 💸 Free to play Trivi-YAH is specially brewed for good times- expect delicious beer, fantastic vibes, and a crowd that knows how to raise a glass!
Join Voices of Flat River Pride for our May Craft Club — friendship bracelet making!
Bring a poem to share (5 mins or less) or just listen and sip a beverage. Hosted by poets Nick West (@n.w3st) and Dorian Steele (@absinthe.absolam).
20% off for college students.
It's Kick-Ass Karaoke, hosted by DeeDee Chaunte! Every 2nd and 4th Thursday join us at 10pm and come enjoy our NEW Karaoke platform and NEW selection of songs with amazing drink specials and mug specials! It's Thirsty Thursday at 10 PM! $3 Wells and $2 Domestic Bottles $2 off Premium Beer, Call, & Top Shelf $5 cover - only 21 and up admitted.
📍 Lotus Brew
Join us this Thursday for "Cheers, Queers! A Non-Alcoholic Meetup" at @lotusbrewcoffeedrybar! ✨ "Cheers, Queers!" is a vibrant and casual meetup for the West Michigan's Trans & Queer Community! Come reconnect with old friends (and meet some new ones)! This bimonthly event alternates between a standard happy hour at Brewery Vivant, and a non-alcoholic meetup at Lotus Brew. ✨ Co-sponsored by @grtransfoundation & @grandrapidspridecenter.
🕘 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍 Sparrows Coffee
Neko Taiyaki @ Sparrows Coffee
🕡 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
📍 Apartment Lounge
Join us on Sunday, May 31, at @theaptlounge for bingo, instant games (🍌&🍒), CASH prizes, incredible drag performances, good drinks, and lots of fun! All proceeds go towards the affirming work of GR Trans Foundation. 🏳️⚧️ Progressive Jackpot: $345
🕠 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
A monthly writing accountability event. Body doubling helps with productivity and motivation. New and seasoned writers welcome.
🕖 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Hosted by Virginia Anzengruber with local comedians. Tickets required (in advance if possible, or at the door).
🕡 6:30 PM
Join us for June's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing "Changelings: An Autistic Trans Anthology". This is a Young Adult Fiction Anthology (Queer). Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
🕡 6:35 PM
📍 LMCU Ballpark
"For it's one... two... three strikes... You're..." cordially invited to join the West Michigan White Caps for PRIDE NIGHT on Thursday, June 4, 2026! Proceeds from the game will go to the GRPC! Come hang out at the ballpark & support the rebuild & growth of your local Pride Center.
🕖 7:00 PM
OUT Loud Comedy GR uplifts queer voices and fosters community in West Michigan by creating vibrant spaces for comedy, art and joy. Come on OUT to the ONLY Queer Comedy Festival in West MI. OUT Loud Comedy Festival is a pride show benefitting the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation. Starring LGBTQIA+ comedians from across the midwest, this evening will feature sets from a variety of stand-up comedians, sketch performers, and improv from an all-star cast! 2 nights. 3 unique, incredible lineups. 3 hilarious shows. You won't want to miss this opportunity for queer joy and laughter! We cannot offer refunds on ticket purchases. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before showtime. Arriving 10 minutes or more after showtime may result in forfeiting your seats. MAIN ENTRANCE and PARKING is around back, behind Two Scott's BBQ and accessed from Quarry Ave. (follow signs) Additional free parking available on the street and at Two Scott's BBQ.
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Arcadia Creek Festival Place
Kalamazoo Pride is back for another season of LGBTQIA+ joy! Join us June 5-6, 2026 for Downtown Kalamazoo's largest event of the year. All proceeds support OutFront Kalamazoo's work providing vital programs, services, and resources to the LGBTQIA+ community all year long.
🕛 12:00 PM
OUT Loud - Ensemble Clown Workshop - Sat 12pm In this Ensemble Clown workshop, we'll be focusing on Major/Minor skills, developing the ability to intuit when it's your turn to be in the spotlight, or when to be a supporter, and how to be as effective as possible in both roles. We believe strongly that sharing focus is one of the most important building blocks of any effective team, whether its during a performance, or even just having a group conversation. All the while we'll be digging into the clowning toolbox and building skills such as making big silly choices and allowing the audience to love you for your bravery and vulnerability instead of how clever you are, listening to the audience effectively so you can discover what they want more (and less) of, and how to listen to your body to ensure you're making choices that YOU are having fun with.
🕥 10:30 PM
OUT Loud Comedy Festival : West Michigan's ONLY queer comedy festival and fundraiser. On rare occasions we are able to open up our stage to outside groups for a "Live @TCP!" event and this is one of those exciting times! OUT Loud Comedy GR uplifts queer voices and fosters community in West Michigan by creating vibrant spaces for comedy, art and joy. Come on OUT to the ONLY Queer Comedy Festival in West MI. OUT Loud Comedy Festival is a pride show benefitting the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation. Starring LGBTQIA+ comedians from across the midwest, this special late night show will feature improv from an all-star cast and a few special guests from our community. 2 nights. 3 unique, incredible lineups. 3 hilarious shows. You won't want to miss this opportunity for queer joy and laughter!
🕘 9:00 AM
A monthly community gathering to process current events together, share needs, explore coping strategies, connect with resources, and support each other.
An approachable and meaningful safe space to explore writing your own poetry. New writing prompts each month. Bring & share an in-process poem (optional). Hosted by poets Nick West (@n.w3st) and Dorian Steele (@absinthe.absolam).
📍 Wealthy Street Annex
Rapidian Writers’ Room is our monthly meeting, held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month at the Wealthy Street Annex, located at 1110 Wealthy St. SE. At Rapidian Writers’ Rooms, we discuss story ideas, roadblocks and writing tips. These meetings are open to anyone regardless of experience. All we ask is that you’re curious about things happening in your community and want to write about them. It’s free, low-pressure and open to everyone. Thank you to our friends at Harmony Brewing Company for sponsoring our writers’ rooms.
🕚 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
📍 201 W Judd St
Join us for Flat River Pride 2026 in downtown Greenville!
📍 St. Cecilia Music Center
Join us for the 2026 West Michigan Voices of Pride Concert. This season's concert is based on music from the movie The Birdcage.
A free community event where participants bring their own crafts and contribute to a shared background playlist.
🕐 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
📍 Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan
"Dive Into Pride" at Youth Pride 2026! Kalamazoo's first and only Pride festival curated by and for LGBTQIA+ youth and families is back for another season. Join us on Saturday, June 27 from noon to 6:00 p.m. at Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan for this FREE event! Note: Children ages 0-13 must be accompanied be an adult (18+). Anyone over the age of 24 must be accompanied by a youth (age 0-24).
🕕 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍 Kalamazoo Nature Center
12 Hour Playfest is a fun theatre day for all involved. At 8am the playwrights arrive and are given a prompt, prop, and the number of actors in their scene and start writing. At 12p the actors and directors arrive, meet with the playwright, and run off to reserved space to rehearse. At some point in the day, they will be given one hour in the performance space to test tech. At 8p the curtain comes up and we present to our audience the plays that 12 hours ago didn’t exist.
Join us for July's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing "Invisible Differences: A Story of Autism, Adulting, and Living Life in Full Color" by Julie Dachez. This is an Adult Non-Fiction Graphic Novel and Memoir. Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
🕠 5:35 PM
📍 Homer Stryer Field
The Kalamazoo Growlers will be hosting OutFront Kalamazoo at the ballpark on Friday, July 31! First Pitch is at 6:35 p.m., with gates opening at 5:35 p.m. Join us to have an awesome night of fun, family, and cheering on the Growlers! Important Details: Former Detroit Tiger Legend Coaching the Growlers for this game only! Post-Game Fireworks Show. All-Inclusive Ticket Options!
Join us for August's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing "Life on the Bridge: linking my world to yours as an autistic therapist" by Kaelynn Partlow. This is an Adult Non-Fiction Memoir, Educational, and Therapy book. Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
Join us for September's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing "All Tangled Up in Autism and Chronic Illness: A Guide to Navigating Multiple Conditions" by Charli Clement. This is an Adult Non-Fiction Self-Help book. Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
Join us for October's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing "Moon Dust in My Hairnet" by J.R. Creaden. This is an Adult Fiction Sci-Fi and Queer novel. Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
Join us for November's Autism Book Club for Picture Book Month! We will be exploring various picture books including: - "My Friend Julia" - "This is How We Talk" - "Tummies Flip, Hearts Skip" - "How Are You Verity?" Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
Join us for December's Autism Book Club where we will be discussing: - "Just the Job!: A Light-Hearted Guide to Office Life for the Autistic Employee" - "The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work" by Ludmila N. Praslova - "Learning from Autistic Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-Inclusive School" These are Adult Non-Fiction books (Self-Help, Educational, Work). Every first Thursday of each month through the rest of the year, we’ll meet @ 6:30 in the store to discuss a different book or books! Always open to all:)
