Pride event returns to Arcadia Creek Festival Place
WOOD TV8 | Olivia Bosar
Published June 6, 2026
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Blocks of downtown Kalamazoo were donned in rainbows for Pride Month over the weekend.
The event is put on by OutFront Kalamazoo and supported by dozens of local businesses and nonprofits.
“I think it’s especially now more than ever, it’s very important for our community partners to be standing up both physically being here, but physically with our financial dollars because, as we know, not just for our friend Kalamazoo, but a lot of nonprofits, especially LGBTQ nonprofits, have lost funding, both locally at the state and nationally because of lots of things going wrong with our government,” said Michael Cleggs-Arnott, Deputy Director for Out Front Kalamazoo.
Cleggs-Arnott said despite rain Friday, there was still a good turnout at the event and the community showed up by the hundreds Saturday. He said it was amazing to see families and friends come out to celebrate.
Tents and tables boasted pride merch in every form and fashion, but one tent was handing out something they said too many queer people are in need of — a hug.
“People who come into pride events, have family that didn’t accept them for whatever reason,” said Aaron Smith, an event leader for Free Mom Hugs. “And I’ve had a lot of people that I’ve hugged say their mother never hug them, a father never hug them, that they haven’t talked to them in years, and they just want a hug from, parental figure.”
The group is made up of parents and allies who go to events and offers hugs, high-fives and fist bumps to anyone in need of some support, especially to LGBTQ youth who may be estranged from their families. Smith said he’s happy to step up to offer a free dad hug but wishes people didn’t have to wait until a Pride event to feel loved.
“I hate that I have to do it. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have to be here. But I’m going to be as long as I need to be,” Smith said.
Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement that fights for public safety measures to protect people from gun violence, also tabled the event. Volunteers said rates of suicide and gun violence among LGBTQ youth and people of color is high. They hope to teach others how to get help for someone in crisis and prevent self harm.
“Love is love,” said Rick Omilian, Group Leader with Kalamazoo Moms Demand Action. “And that we’re all here together. And we are understanding the pressures you go through. And that you may be around gun violence more than others. Especially transgender, especially black female or black transgender. And so we’re just saying we understand.”
Many people at Pride said the most important part was coming together as a community and as a family.
“Inclusion matters and people need to know that they’re important, that they matter, that they that it’s, okay for them to be who they are. And in in a world that doesn’t often accept people who are different. This is a place where they can come and be safe and, be who they really are and without fear of judgment or anything like that,” Smith said.
“Not only that we have our families out here and our loved ones out here, and people being who they are,” Cleggs-Arnott said. “But like, my mom is here. You know, a lot of a lot of my coworkers, moms and dads and parents are here supporting what we do and visibly being here to show that, you know, we love our children and we love making sure that we can be ourselves comfortably and safely.”