Community comes together to celebrate Pride

Rainbow floats, performers and flags colored downtown Battle Creek as the city held its annual pride parade on Friday evening. The route took participants through downtown, ending in front of Café Rica for a series of drag performances in the street.

The weekend’s festivities were presented by Battle Creek Pride, a local organization advocating for LGBTQ+ issues and community support. Drag performer Sasha Banks, currently reigning as Mx. Battle Creek Pride, served as emcee for the event.

Saturday’s events included a festival at Leila Arboretum attended by hundreds throughout the day. Festival grounds were decorated with tents from local vendors and small businesses, as well as live performances from local bands and artists.

Community members can learn more about Battle Creek Pride at https://battlecreekpride.org/