If you have ever been mesmerized by the holiday-light-filled streets of Akron, wishing you could see the magic tucked away inside, the Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes is your opportunity.
For the past 25 years, the Sugar Plum Tour has captivated tourgoers with exquisitely decorated homes throughout Greater Akron. The event includes both a live and virtual tour, showcasing five homes you can visit in person and eight homes you can tour virtually throughout the Holiday season.
Among the homes showcased on this year’s self-guided live tour are a 1911 brick Highland Square home with integral spout sinks, marble thresholds and sills, and a three‑car garage with chauffeur quarters; a 1929 French Eclectic Vernacular home featuring wide‑plank white oak floors, a chef’s kitchen, and custom murals throughout; and a 1953 French‑style Roy Firestone home with a turret finial and a living‑room fireplace imported from Normandy, France.
The Sugar Plum Tour is your chance to walk through Akron history and experience what makes the season so magical: Akron residents opening their hearts and front doors to the community. Over the years, the Tour has become an Akron tradition that reminds us of the beauty of the Holiday season. These Akron homes are not only immaculately decorated, but they also create unforgettable memories for you, your friends and your family.
The Tour not only dazzles but also supports a great cause, as it is the signature fundraiser of the Gay Community Endowment Fund (GCEF) of Akron Community Foundation. Since 2001, GCEF has reinvested more than $1 million into programs that positively impact the local LGBTQ+ community and Greater Akron as a whole. GCEF grants have created safer environments for LGBTQ+ youth, combated phobias of the LGBTQ+ community, and supported mental health and suicide prevention programs for LGBTQ+ people.
Last year’s Sugar Plum Tour raised more than $160,000 for the fund, supporting the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community by providing grants and scholarships that advance the right to live safely, openly and authentically. A full list of recent grants is available at akroncf.org/GCEFgrants.
You can experience this year’s live tour featuring five festively decorated homes on Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m. The virtual tour will feature eight intimate video tours, including two homes filmed exclusively for the virtual tour, and can be viewed throughout the holiday season from Dec. 12 through Jan. 3.
Tickets are available now and can be purchased at sugarplumtour.org/tickets. Tickets to the Tour make wonderful Holiday gifts for friends and family looking to take part in an Akron Holiday tradition. General admission tickets are $45 each for the live or virtual tours, or $75 for both.
On Dec. 5, the evening before the live tour, sponsors are invited to a private party. A limited number of Patron Party bundle tickets, which include admission to the live and virtual tours and the private Patron Party, are available for $250.
Major sponsors of the 25th annual Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes include The Read Family – Roger & Sally, Scott & Michelle, Garrett and Brandon; Raymond Dental Group – Dr. Kate Raymond & Michelle Krocker; Fran Bittle; and Gregory Hail & Matthew Culler. For a complete list of this year’s sponsors, visit sugarplumtour.org/current-sponsors.
Tickets can be purchased at sugarplumtour.org/tickets.
