Up North Pride 2025

It all started at The Little Fleet…

…in 2014, when a group of 2SLGBTQIA+ community members gathered to discuss the need to represent and celebrate the queer community in Northern Michigan.

The gathering was prompted when a straight-identified mother of four asked why there wasn’t a Pride festival in Traverse City and how important she felt it was to raise her children in a community that celebrated diversity.

With the overflowing support of The Little Fleet owners Gary and Allison Jonas, founders Jonny Cameron, Elon Cameron, and Marta Turnbull moved quickly to organize a Visibility March on the sidewalks of downtown Traverse City, followed by a small gathering at The Little Fleet.

In the years since the original march, Up North Pride has grown to be the largest participant-driven LGBTQ+ Pride March in Michigan— now attracting more than 8,000 attendees each year—and Michigan’s premier destination Pride Celebration, as well as a leader in Northern Michigan’s LGBTQ+ advocacy.

Join us as we continue our work to make Northern Michigan a more diverse, inclusive, and safe place for everyone.