On Saturday, September 14, almost 800 people toured 6 homes in the neighborhood, and raised over $12,500 for our community, breaking all records for the Home Tour since it started, in 2000! Proceeds will be used to bring back popular social events, such as a New Resident Welcome Party and Easter Egg Hunt, and continue to be able to host Harvest Fest and provide dinner at the April and December General Resident meetings.
The beautiful weather helped to make it a successful day, thanks to many University District resident volunteers who worked together over the past year. Planning started in September 2023, confirming the homeowners/homes on the tour, reaching out to recruit volunteers, sponsors and partners, and putting pieces in place to have a safe and successful event. Altogether, 100+ people gave 1,300+ hours of their time to create and deliver for the University District!
Thanks to the hard work, over many months, of the Promotions and Communications team, we got lots of media attention, including:
- Extensive TV coverage:
- Feature story the weekend of September 6 and a “Live at 11” interview September 11 with Amy Lange on Fox2 Detroit
- Feature story on CBS62 by Amyre Makupson on August 29
- Major newspaper coverage
- The Detroit News Homestyle section September 6 – front page and inside center spread, which is much-sought-after and hard to get unless you really have a compelling story and photographs
- The Detroit Free Press online September 10 – in depth interview with homeowners
- Online Newsletter Features
Generous support from local businesses, both new and long-standing, increased visibility and helped to spread the news and excitement about the University District Home Tour. New supporters included Dutch Girl Donuts, Midpoint Construction, and University District resident-owned businesses Blacklight Mobile Laser Tag, Genesis Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, and Lockeroom Lounge. Renewing their support were DTE, UD Mercy Theatre, Hamilton Anderson Architects, All Saints Episcopal Church, Mike’s Market, Savon Foods, People for Palmer Park and Dream Arts Company.
Two small business food vendors, Chango Street Food and Pink Flamingo To Go, offered delicious food for purchase to our guests, who were thrilled to be able to sit down, take a break and refresh without having to leave the neighborhood.
Some of the comments we received from “tourists” include:
- What a treat!! Super well thought-out, the people involved seemed to be truly committed and passionate. And you could feel a sense of community pride in the air.
- I know how much time and effort goes into putting on an event like this. You made it so easy for me to just breeze in!
- Not only did we enjoy the details of the homes we visited, but we also so much enjoyed meeting the homeowners, as well as the wonderful people who came out to view the homes.
- It was my second time attending and I’m already looking forward to 2026. Be blessed!
Planning for the 2026 University District Home Tour will start in June 2025. If you think you might like to be involved, including having your home in the tour, please email UDCAHomeTour@outlook.com.
