Drag, Drama and Dancing: Your Guide to a Queer Michigan Halloween
Where to find the best frights and delights this spoOoky season
It’s fall, darlings, and you know what that means: It’s the season of slaying — both for our favorite slasher icons and all those who celebrate, as you get decked out in your stunning Halloween attire. Pride Source knows that this is a sacred time of campy queerness for the LGBTQ+ community, so we’ve picked some Halloween events from across Michigan with the most drama, just for you.
October 18
Murder at the Belcrest
9:30 p.m.-2 a.m., Common Pub Detroit (5440 Cass Ave., Detroit)
Taking place at Detroit’s beautifully eerie historic Belcrest Apartments is a Halloween event with hauntingly decorated spaces, a costume contest and drag performances. Organizers say it’s “the ultimate queer Halloween extravaganza — a night where everyone is welcome to live out their spookiest, most fabulous fantasies.” bit.ly/3YeosC9
Drag is a Scream!
7 p.m., Weatherwax Hall (215 W. Michigan Ave., Jackson)
A fundraiser for Jackson Pride, Drag is a Scream! has a cauldron of goodies in store for you, including a drag show and concession-style food. Attendees get a taste of the Halloween season, all the while supporting a good cause. bit.ly/4ezcJnz
October 20
Opulent Obscura: Bloody Sunday Bizarre
11 a.m.-8 p.m., Factory of the Dead Haunted House (906 Lapeer Ave., Saginaw)
Don your finest goth-glamor costume as you step into the world of Opulent Obscura. As the Factory of the Dead Haunted House is transformed into a bizarre realm filled with arts vendors, you'll also find a slew of other spooky adventures: escape rooms, unique artisans, GellyBall, haunted attractions and much more. bit.ly/3ZY0bSi
October 22
Miss Moscato’s Cult of Dragula Viewing Party (with The Goddess Kelly)
7 p.m., General Wood Shop (507 Bridge St., Grand Rapids)
If “RuPaul’s Drag Race” was Utica and A'Keria C. Davenport all the time, you might have something closer to “Boulet Brothers' Dragula,” now in its sixth season on Shudder. Michigan drag queen and activist Miss Moscato hosts a viewing party and show at General Wood Shop every Tuesday through Nov. 5. With a new special guest every week, there’s something fresh in store with every viewing. bit.ly/4gVigGu
October 25
Creepy Cheapy Halloween Treat XVI (Night 1)
6:30 p.m., The Crofoot Complex (1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac)
Fully costumed local cover bands will be rocking The Crofoot for two nights of aptly melodramatic Halloween fun. Attendees are encouraged to dress up, of course, but to also really lean into the campiness of the event. Got something sitting in the closet that’s ragged and cheap-looking? Wear it! “Don’t settle for that phony sexy nurse outfit or some store-bought Batman crap — this is the real deal!,” reads the Crofoot’s website. “Halloween USA is good, and mom’s basement is better... but doing your own last-minute rush-job to make that crappy Robocop armor out of aluminum foil and cardboard IS BEST!” bit.ly/4ezpoXj
Scream Queens & Classic Scenes
6 p.m.-2 a.m., General Wood Shop (507 Bridge St., Grand Rapids)
With Miss Moscato hosting, an array of local DJs on hand and a costume contest, those attending General Wood Shop’s annual Halloween party, “Scream Queens and Classic Scenes,” are in for a real treat. And for those in Metro Detroit who haven’t been to Grand Rapids in a while, now just may be the time to make the trip: a $200 gift card prize is awaiting the winner of best costume. bit.ly/3NeKePY
Necto Pride Halloween
8 p.m., Necto (516 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor)
Ann Arbor’s queer-inclusive club Necto isn’t about to let the Halloween season pass by without honoring it properly. So on Oct. 25, Halloween Pride will fill the iconic space with sound — featuring two separate Halloween-themed rooms, each with their own DJ, and a costume contest. Necto is urging clubgoers to “dress to impress” for “the campiest Halloween party in Michigan!” bit.ly/4eY6cST
Cauldron: Thots & Prayers Halloween
10 p.m.-4 a.m., Orchid Theatre (141 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale)
One of the biggest year-round queer dance parties, Thots & Prayers, is getting the Halloween treatment, as decorations, dancers and DJs Deanne and Dan Slater will be setting the scene for what organizers are calling “Detroit’s hottest gay Halloween event.” bit.ly/3U2CCUu
October 26
Halloween at Castle Hall
7 p.m., Castle Hall (1942 Grand River Ave., Detroit)
It’s still weeks away, but Halloween at Castle Hall is already giving so much drama. A creepy, old building? Check! A requirement to dress to the nines and wear masquerade masks? Check, check! If moodiness-meets-luxury is your thing, this one’s for you. eventsatcastlehall.com
October 27
Halloween Drag Brunch
12-2:30 p.m., Sidetrack Bar and Grill (56 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti)
This brunch won’t have a dull moment, not with Ann Arbor queen Jadein Black and a cadre of other talented performers leading it. Event proceeds will be donated to Ozone House, an Ypsilanti organization that provides shelter, safe spaces, transitional housing and counseling to homeless youth and LGBTQ+ runaway teens. bit.ly/3NiAB2M
Read More
‘Why Wouldn't I Stand Up for Everybody?': Remembering Dolly Parton and Her LGBTQ+ Allyship
Here's the thing nobody's obituary is going to lead with, so I will: Dolly Parton picked up the phone for queer press. Not just the glossies with the [...]Read more about ‘Why Wouldn't I Stand Up for Everybody?': Remembering Dolly Parton and Her LGBTQ+ Allyship
Detroit Artist Bakpak Durden Paints the Beauty of Becoming
When most people first encounter Detroit artist Bakpak Durden, they're looking up at a photorealistic mural more than four stories tall. Towering above the [...]Read more about Detroit Artist Bakpak Durden Paints the Beauty of Becoming
How the Detroit Disco Daddies Turn Queer Joy Into a Live Disco Spectacle
If you’ve ever gone out clubbing around Detroit and stumbled across two men dressed to the nines in disco attire, singing their hearts out to covers of hit [...]Read more about How the Detroit Disco Daddies Turn Queer Joy Into a Live Disco Spectacle
Michigan Celebrates First Transgender and Nonbinary Pride Month
Michigan's LGBTQ+ community is celebrating its first Transgender and Nonbinary Pride and History Month this August, an initiative born from one [...]Read more about Michigan Celebrates First Transgender and Nonbinary Pride Month
Just How Gay Is "Barbie"? It Depends on Who You Ask.
Let's face it: "Barbie" was going to be gay. Maybe not gay enough, according to some gays. Maybe too gay, according to anti-gays.The fact is, [...]Read more about Just How Gay Is "Barbie"? It Depends on Who You Ask.
Char Davenport, Dead at 67, Remembered as Trans Activist Who Took on College After Being Fired
Char Davenport, who died July 17 at 67, leaves behind a legacy centered on authenticity, perseverance and the critical importance of self-advocacy.As a child, [...]Read more about Char Davenport, Dead at 67, Remembered as Trans Activist Who Took on College After Being Fired
