By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published July 17, 2024
ROYAL OAK — Pride Royal Oak is coming in hot with headliners from the internationally acclaimed show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” for the third annual Pride event July 26-27.
For the past two years, Pride Royal Oak was located on Washington Avenue, and this year it will be relocated to a more centralized location at Centennial Commons and the Royal Oak Farmers Market.
Pride Royal Oak is a nonprofit organization dedicated to “promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion for LGBTQ individuals,” according to prideroyaloak.com.
Pride 2024 is sponsored by the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority, Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers, Channel 955, Outfront, Stoli Vodka, Corewell Health, Hotel Royal Oak, and Effectv.
Pride Royal Oak provides resources including counseling, mentorship, and community outreach programs to people who consider themselves a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Daniel Solomon, downtown manager for the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority and member of the Pride Royal Oak planning committee, said that the event is a “testament to the strength and resilience of our community,” in a press release.
“We are thrilled to bring Pride back to Royal Oak for a third year, bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community,” Solomon said.
Pride Royal Oak will include a multitude of entertainment acts across the span of the two days, and on July 26, there will be a special opportunity for people to get married in Centennial Commons on the sound stage.
Mayor Mike Fournier will be leading the ceremony, and as of July 11, there are three couples registered to tie the knot, according to the chairperson of the event, Shelly Mazur.
“We are very excited about that right now; we are hoping to get the word out and more to come on board,” Mazur said.
Registration to be married at Pride Royal Oak at 6 p.m. July 26 is open on the website at prideroyaloak.com.
The entertainment lineup, Mazur said, is “top talent,” and the committee involved is excited to showcase whom they have slated to perform.
On July 26, the season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars” will air on Paramount+, and the two finalists, Roxxxy Andrews and Angeria Paris VanMicheals, will be headlining Pride Royal Oak that day and throughout the weekend.
On July 27, Bianca Del Rio, one of the most notable performers from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will be headlining.
According to a press release, “Bianca’s sharp wit and dazzling performances have made her a global drag icon.”
Pride Royal Oak is being held at the end of July after Pride Month in June because the committee wanted to try to get as many people as possible to be able to attend, according to Mazur.
Mazur said that in June the committee hosted a family Pride event, but they are holding the official Pride festival later in July to make sure Pride Royal Oak stands out.
“We wanted to do a really big Pride event, and to have something established in Royal Oak,” she said. “There are so many in June, Ferndale has been long-standing, Motor City Pride has been long-standing, so we didn’t want to compete with some of these bigger shows.”
Compared to other Pride events, Mazur said the talent will put Royal Oak over the top and draw in the crowds.
“We are hoping for a fantastic turnout; we have already presold many tickets,” she said. “We are getting a really good response and a lot of hits on our website.”
The 2024 Pride event will also feature a performance by Shakespeare Royal Oak. Shakespeare Royal Oak Executive Director and Board Member Ed Nahhat said that the organization created a special show specifically for the Pride event.
Shakespeare Royal Oak will be performing its own show, “Bards and Broads,” on the main stage at 6:15 p.m. July 26 and at 2:15 p.m. July 27.
“Bards and Broads” is a comedy, according to Nahhat, and will have sword fighting.
Nahhat said the organization that owns Shakespeare Royal Oak, Water Works Theatre Company, got involved in the Pride event by becoming the nonprofit organization that the Pride event needed to continue on with the event.
“Water Works Theatre Company is now the co-presenter of Pride Royal Oak as the nonprofit fiduciary,” Nahhat said. “We want to make sure it goes well and that we can help each other.”
In terms of safety, Mazur said that the event will have an EMS tent on the premises run by the Royal Oak Fire Department, Royal Oak police will be on-site during all hours, and the nonprofit has also hired a private security company, Liberty Security, to patrol while the event is going on.
“Royal Oak is a very progressive, all-inclusive community,” Mazur said. “We want to make sure that everyone feels safe and welcome at all times.”
Pride will be taking place in downtown Royal Oak from 3-11 p.m. July 26 and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 27. Attendees can park in the 11 Mile Road parking garage, exiting adjacent to the main entry gate for the event.
For more information on Pride Royal Oak, tickets and registration for the wedding ceremony, visit prideroyaloak.com.