Tickets on sale for 25th Annual Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes
Celebrating 25 years of holiday tradition and philanthropy, the Gay Community Endowment Fund's Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes will once again inspire generosity while opening the doors to some of Greater Akron's most beautifully decorated homes. The beloved annual event will feature a live tour on Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m., showcasing five distinctive historic and contemporary residences transformed for the holiday season.
A virtual option will launch Saturday, Dec. 12, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to festive décor, design inspiration and holiday entertaining ideas. Available through Sunday, Jan. 3, the online experience will feature intimate video tours of eight homes, including the 2026 Patron Party venue. Together, the live and virtual tours continue the Sugar Plum Tour's 25-year tradition of celebrating community, creativity and charitable giving throughout the holiday season.
This year's live tour will offer a captivating blend of historic charm and modern elegance, featuring five homes that showcase exceptional architecture, craftsmanship and holiday décor. Attendees will explore residences spanning nearly a century of design, from a beautifully preserved 1911 Highland Square home and a 1929 French Eclectic residence to stunning French-inspired estates and a thoughtfully renovated colonial. Each home reflects its own unique character, highlighting distinctive architectural details, inviting living spaces, and creative holiday styling that make the Sugar Plum Tour a favorite seasonal tradition. For more information about the homes featured on this year's tour, visit sugarplumtour.org/about.
General admission tickets are $45 each for the live or virtual tours, or $75 for both, and can be purchased at sugarplumtour.org.
Sponsorships start at $600 and include tickets to both the live and virtual tours, admission to the private Patron Party, a commemorative holiday ornament, and many other benefits. All proceeds from the event benefit the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation.
Major sponsors of the 25th Annual Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes include The Read Family, Raymond Dental Group, Fran Bittle, and Gregory Hail & Matthew Culler. For a complete list of sponsors, visit sugarplumtour.org/current-sponsors.
Last year's Sugar Plum Tour raised more than $165,000 for the fund, which supports 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.
About the Gay Community Endowment Fund
Founded in 2001, the Gay Community Endowment Fund is a permanent philanthropic endowment of Akron Community Foundation. The fund supports the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community by providing grants and scholarships that advance the right to live safely, openly and authentically. Since its inception, the fund has grown to nearly $3 million while reinvesting more than $1 million into the community. Contributions of any amount are welcome and support future grantmaking. Checks should be sent to Akron Community Foundation, 345 W. Cedar St., Akron, OH 44307, with Gay Community Endowment Fund in the memo line. Donations may also be designated for the GCEF Scholarship Fund. For more information, or to contribute, call 330-376-8522 or visit gaycommunityfund.org.
About Akron Community Foundation
For 71 years, Akron Community Foundation has been our community's champion and generator of enduring philanthropy. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of $367 million with a growing family of more than 930 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life. The community foundation and its funds welcome gifts of all kinds, including cash, bequests, stock, real estate, life insurance and retirement assets, just to name a few. To date, the community foundation's funds have awarded $283 million in grants to qualified nonprofit organizations. For more information about Akron Community Foundation or to learn more about creating your own charitable fund, call 330-376-8522 or visit akroncf.org.