Battle Creek Pride

06/10/2026

📣We still have vendor spots available-but get them before you can't. We even have the option to choose your own spot to ensure a prime spot!
You will be facing thousands of patrons who are excited to buy your products and hear about your services.

Must be 2SLGBTQ+ owned or an ally to ensure safety for our community and festival goers.🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

🌈Our vendors are one of our key components of the Festival and we WANT YOU! Secure your spot now!

06/10/2026

🎉There is still time to get yourself and your team signed up to walk in the BC Pride Parade! Just fill out the link here! ⤵️⤵️

https://www.cognitoforms.com/BattleCreekPride1/_2026BattleCreekPrideParadeRegistration

Only have 1 or 2 people walking? That's ok, decorate your car and drive! Just get signed up and join the fun!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

06/09/2026

Please join our friends in Marshall as history is made and the Pride Flag is raised for the first time in a city park showing love and support. Tuesday at noon.

🚨We are about to make history

We cordially invite you to join us tomorrow, at noon, at the flag pole at Grand St Park, in Marshall, to be a part of Marshall Pride history.

📣 For the 1st time, we will hoist a pride flag at this city park where it will fly for 21 days.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the Marshall City Council for approving our Proclamation in it's entirety. We are deeply appreciative of their support.

Flying the Pride Flag at a city park tells everyone that Marshall is a supportive city. We are seen, valid and welcome. For those struggling it is a beacon of hope in a scary time for our community.

Come stand with us as our flag is raised for the first time. See you at the flagpole at noon tomorrow!

06/06/2026

This is part of the reason we love New Story Community Books ! Go check them out!

"Camp Prodigy" is a middle-grade graphic novel about two nonbinary kids who meet at a summer orchestra camp, navigating anxiety, identity, and the pressures of music and self-discovery.

06/06/2026

Come see us at Kalamazoo Pride today! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

06/06/2026

We are very excited and honored to announce Tom and Kimberly Batterson, owner's of New Story Community Books, as our Grand Marshals for our 2026 Pride Parade!

There’s a reason why Tom and Kimberly decided to name their business New Story Community Books. Because community is very important to them and every new adventure is an opportunity for a new story to be written. 📖

It’s important to us, too. And so are the Battersons. And that’s why we’re so happy to have Tom and Kimberly as our 2026 BC Pride Parade Grand Marshals.

But first, a little “backstory”. Tom spent 20 years as a bookseller and manager for Barnes & Noble. Kimberly is a teacher at Battle Creek Public Schools, with a heart for all of the students in our community. Together, they had a “novel” idea – a family-owned, family-operated, independent bookstore offering books that represent the diverse interests of their community.

In 2020, they launched New Story Community Books at 114 W. Michigan Avenue in downtown Marshall. And thus began an exciting new chapter in their lives.

Tom spends his days managing the day to day operations of their bookstore, carefully making the space open and welcoming to all who enter their doors. 📚

“We are committed to working with others to build a more just and equitable community,” Tom said. “You know how some people have religious callings? This is our calling.” From bringing the bookstore into the community at special curated events, to the permanent Pride flags hanging in their windows, and their carefully curated selection of q***r stories, they are a consistent supporter and ally to the q***r community and they remain dedicated to making sure their book selections reflect the members of our community including providing a window into those different from us. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

New Story is a charming, creative space that is treasured by book lovers throughout Calhoun County. They underwrite free books for kids, they offer educator discounts, they recycle old books, they’re the sponsor of LGBTQ&A, and they continue to be fierce allies of our q***r community.

We’re proud to have Tom, Kimberly, and their three kids – Cody, Elliott, and Gracie – as Battle Creek Pride supporters. For them, and for all of us, the adventure and the story continues.

06/06/2026

🌈It's Pride Month and we hope you are enjoying other festivals throughout Michigan and celebrating ALL that you are!🌈

Battle Creek Pride is gearing up to celebrate our Pride Festival in July and WE NEED YOU and your help to do it!

✨Our Festival is made for our community, and we can't do it alone.

‼️Please dig down deep and consider volunteering for a shift. There are opportunities for most ages and ability levels.

As a volunteer you will receive a free t-shirt and 2 drink tickets. If you are under 21 or have made the choice to be alcohol free, we will have soda available for you. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Please share and tag a friend!

https://battlecreekpride.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=169523

06/05/2026

Check out this line-up for our Friday night After Parade Drag Show! 👑 We are so excited to announce that Dixie, our Miss Battle Creek Pride Emeritus will be our Producer and Host this year!! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The logistics may change a little due to some temporary changes in our parade route this year. BUT-we will again be partnering with our friends and allies at Café Rica for a fantastic show, delicious food and cold drinks! 🍻🍔

We can't wait to see you on Friday July 17th immediately following the Pride Parade! 🌟

06/02/2026

Happy Pride Month!

While many of you are out of the closet, we invite you to come into ours for a new, fresh look. 😉

We will be open for fittings and clothes on Wednesday from 2-7 and Saturday from 10-12.

Everything is FREE!

If you’re looking to help out our closet, please drop off donations to our resource center any open hours with freshly laundered and sorted clothes and shoes.

We look forward to seeing you! 🏳️‍⚧️

06/02/2026

As we navigate through Pride Month and the months that follow, we pause to celebrate the resilience, courage, creativity, and achievements of 2SLGBTQIA+ people who have shaped our communities, our workplaces, our families, and our future. Pride is a time to honor those who came before us, those who stand beside us today, and those who will continue the work for generations to come.

We also recognize and celebrate the allies who walk alongside the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, not as spectators, but as partners in creating a world where every person is valued, respected, and able to live authentically. Progress has never been achieved alone. It is built through relationships, solidarity, and a shared commitment to human dignity.

Battle Creek Pride wants you to remember that Pride month is not just a celebration. Please also use the events you experience this June as a reminder that the work must continue after we celebrate. Across our communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people still face barriers to safety, healthcare, housing, employment, education, and belonging. Because we are still facing these issues, we must continue to protect, advocate, and educate. We must challenge misinformation, stand against discrimination, and ensure that every person has the opportunity to thrive.

The voices of 2SLGBTQIA+ people are essential to the health and vibrancy of our community. When those voices are heard in chorus with allies, families, educators, faith leaders, businesses, and community partners, we create something stronger than any one group could achieve alone. We build communities rooted in understanding, compassion, and equity.

This Pride Month, we invite you to celebrate the victories, honor the journeys, and recommit to the work ahead. Pride is not only a moment on the calendar. It is an ongoing commitment to visibility, inclusion, and belonging.

Together, let us continue building a community where every 2SLGBTQIA+ person is seen, heard, valued, and empowered.

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month from Battle Creek Pride. 💜 🏳️‍⚧️ ✨
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜