Have you ever wondered what treasures your hometown has to offer? If you answered “yes” to that question, then you’re in luck! This Saturday, July 18, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is holding the third annual, “Be a Tourist in Your Home Town” event. The event runs from 10am to 4pm and gives local residents the chance to explore 30-40 different points of interest scattered throughout Flint.
Passports are available to purchase for only $1 per person, which includes admission and transportation to the venues. In addition, the passports will be accepted on July 18 at Downtown Flint restaurants and businesses for a 10% discount. Passports can be purchased online now or on the day of the event at the Riverfront Banquet Center, The Whiting, or the Flint Farmer’s Market. Cheryl DeFrain, Director of the Flint and Genesee Convention and Visitors Bureau, encourages people to buy a passport at any of these locations on Saturday, July 18. She wants people to be aware that the Riverfront Banquet Center is the only place where you will have access to all three Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) routes and all 38 venues. If you buy a passport ticket at The Whiting or Farmer’s Market, you will already be on the designated MTA route for that location.
With over 30 venues on the tour, the choices can seem overwhelming. However, the passport can make it easier. One of the great things about the tour is the ability to customize it to your liking. “It’s completely up to you,” says Cheryl. “If you want to take it easy and just visit two venues, or if you want to visit ten different places, the choice is up to you.”
Some of the more popular locations each year include The Whiting, The Flint Cultural Center (including the renovated Longway Planetarium), Applewood (the Charles Stewart Mott Estate), Michigan School for the Deaf, Superintendent’s Cottage, and Glenwood Cemetery. Additional stops include Buick Gallery, Capitol Theatre, For-Mar Nature Preserve & Arboretum, Sloan Museum, and many more. For a complete list of locations participating, click here.
Just over 500 passports were sold the first year of “Be a Tourist in Your Home Town,” and the turnout is expected to be even larger this year. “We’re expecting over 700 people,” says Cheryl. “If I can hit 700, I’ll be very happy!” she exclaims. Cheryl explains that this year feels a little different than the past two. “We just feel that general excitement from people this year,” she continues, “I had people calling in January asking about the event and wanting to know the date.”
Cheryl hopes that the people attending the tour take away an appreciation for their community. “We have so many gems and so many welcoming people,” she says. “I am hoping people will come out and see everything Flint has to offer,” she continues, “after all, the best ambassadors for our city are the people who actually live here.”
For more information, contact the CVB at 810.600.1404 or cdefrain@flintandgenesee.org.
