Ferndale Pride is moving from June to August after the city announced plans to repave West 9 Mile Road between Woodward and Pinecrest starting in spring 2027.
The construction project will affect the same stretch of road where 187 booths and 3 stages were set to be set up on June 5 for the annual LGBTQ+ festival. Organizers have rescheduled the event for August 7.
Julia Music, executive director of Ferndale Pride, said the road is in poor condition and she welcomes the repaving project — but the timing required a quick pivot.
Watch More in the Video Player Below
"We didn't know it was going to impact the timeline for the event until very recently, and as soon as we knew, we got together with the city to come up with an alternative plan," Music said.
Ferndale Pride has fundraised and celebrated the LGBTQ+ community for more than a decade. Music said planning for the 2027 event had already been underway for months, and organizers are now working with vendors to accommodate the new date.
"So far it's worked out or people have said 'I cant be there, but I know I have a crew I can send out,' so it will be a little bit different but I think overall everything will work out really nicely for the event," Music said.
Local businesses are also adjusting to the news. Elizabeth McMullen, general manager of Pops for Italian restaurant on 9 Mile, said the 2026 Ferndale Pride was the single busiest day in the restaurant's history, with Pride typically bringing in 3 times the number of customers compared to a normal Saturday.
McMullen said the restaurant learned about the road project and the date change through a Monday Facebook post from the city.
"We plan around that date, we know its coming every year. It's a part of Ferndale, it is Ferndale. Pride is Ferndale. How do you move it? How do you change it?" McMullen said.
With months of construction expected to bring a slower spring for businesses along 9 Mile, McMullen said she is choosing to stay positive about the rescheduled event.
"I am going to be hopeful and I will not be a pessimist, I will be optimistic, but it was a shocker," McMullen said.
Music said she is confident the community will show up regardless of the month.
"We'll just roll with the punches. The important thing is that we're gathering our community together to celebrate like we do each year," Music said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
