Royal Oak Pride returns for second year with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ stars

Drag queens Brooke Lynn Hytes and Alyssa Edwards will headline

By Layla McMurtrie

Jul 14, 2023 at 4:22 pm

Audio By Carbonatix

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Courtesy Photo

Royal Oak Pride 2022.

Following its 2022 comeback, Royal Oak Pride will return in August to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

The festival will run from 5-11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 4 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug.5, offering performances, vendors, and food right in the center of Downtown Royal Oak on Washington Avenue.

RuPaul’s Drag Race stars will headline each night, with Brooke Lynn Hytes on Friday and Alyssa Edwards on Saturday, bringing their unique personalities. Other talent performing will include national singer-songwriter VINCINT, 7-foot clown Puddles Pity Party, and Detroit’s Barbara Payton, longtime backing vocalist for Bob Seger. Additional live entertainment will include live DJ music and karaoke on two smaller stages.

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Royal Oak Pride is for all ages and will offer family-friendly activities including a bounce house, face painting, and Drag Queen storytelling.

Carnival-style and local international food trucks will also be present at the event, along with vendors from local artists to LGBTQ+-owned businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Advanced admission tickets can be purchased for $5 a day at royaloakpride.com. The festival is free to Royal Oak residents before 5 p.m.

Royal Oak Pride returned in 2022 after a 20-year absence, drawing a turnout of some 20,000.

Tags:

Culture LGBTQ+LGBTQ Pride Royal Oak RuPaul’s Drag Race

About The Author

Layla McMurtrie

Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about art, music, food, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between the Lines, and Metromode, among other Michigan publications.