Michiana PrideFest celebrates its 5th year with a sports theme

NILES, Mich. -- Michiana PrideFest took place Saturday, June 13 at Tyler's Sports Complex, located in Niles, Michigan.

The event ran from the late morning through the early evening, drawing community members from across the Michiana region for a daylong outdoor celebration organized by OutCenter Southwest Michigan. 

This year marked a new chapter for the annual event, with organizers relocating PrideFest to the outdoor athletic complex to introduce a sports-themed format centered around softball games on the diamond, alongside live entertainment, local artists, vendors, and family activities.

OutCenter Southwest Michigan, a nonprofit founded in 2003 and serving Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties, organized the event as part of its broader mission to build community and provide advocacy and support services for LGBTQ+ people and their families in Southwest Michigan. The organization runs year-round programs including youth school support initiatives, counseling services, and transgender support programming.

There are two upcoming pride festivals; one in Dowagiac Library Pavillion on June 20 and in Silver Beach June 27. 

Gerik Maverick, the Interim Executive Director at OutCenter told us:

"The feedback I always love hearing is how warm it feels for people, and not just the heat, because it's June, but the warmth of the community, you know, and that's something that we take a lot of pride in. I personally take a lot of pride in that, you know, we do everything we can to capture that community warmth, that connectedness, and just joy.

Five years ago we did our first Pride festival, that was in Benton Harbor, and it's kind of funny, the events have kind of naturally expanded in scope and what we pull off and what we're able to do and partner with, but the DNA is still very much the same, you know, the DNA is we wanted it feel like a small community festival, the growth and change has really just been in being in more places, doing more things with more people.

When we're in a moment where people are trying to put us back in the closet, it is on us as community leaders, as LGBTQ folks, to stand up and say we're not going back. We're going to keep moving forward, we're going to keep being here, we're going to keep being visible, we're going to keep being public, and we're going to keep serving our community."

Wynter Star, a South Bend Resident and performer, tells ABC57 why she loves the event:

"I just saw community, I think community building is everything, people gather around to watch me perform, and people having a bunch of flags, like seeing a lot of people like that, just inspires me to keep doing what I'm doing, because I know there's a lot of people like me out there. Support your local drag queens, support the LGBTQ plus, and just have fun, be yourself."