FLINT, MI — After a five-year hiatus, Explore Flint & Genesee wants to invite you to “Be a Tourist in Your Hometown.” The event is back, in partnership with Genesee County and Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) Flint, on Aug. 10, known locally as 810 Day.
The one-day event allows locals to tour several area attractions for just $1. “We’re proud to call Flint and Genesee County home, and for good reason,” said Amari Steward, executive director of Explore Flint & Genesee, a division of the Flint & Genesee Group and the region’s convention and visitors bureau. “There are so many things that make Genesee County an amazing place to live – you don’t have to look far to find engaging activities, interesting attractions or delicious food.
Be a Tourist offers an affordable and accessible way to discover, or rediscover, some of those places.” Residents and visitors can purchase tickets in advance at ExploreFlintandGenesee.org/bat .
Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the event at Brush Park in downtown Flint or the FIM’s The Whiting. This is where you will pick up your “Be a Tourist” passport, which will grant you entry to more than 20 area attractions. To get there, tourists can catch free bus rides provided through MTA Flint, a longstanding co-sponsor of the Be a Tourist event.
“The MTA proudly sponsors the transportation for Be a Tourist in Your Hometown,” said Ed Benning, CEO of MTA Flint. “It’s really all about the quality of life in our community, and this is a great way to highlight all the great places we have.” Steward said you may even see a surprise guest on your bus at some point during the day.
Tourists can choose among five tours of different themes, including walking, history, family-friendly, arts and culture and “what’s new.” Confirmed venues so far include: • Applewood • Buckham Gallery • Comma Bookstore • Dort Music Center (FIM) • Elgood Theatre (FIM) • Flint Children’s Museum • Flint Farmers’ Market • Flint Institute of Arts • Glenwood Cemetery • Gloria Coles Flint Public Library • Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Flint • Kettering University’s GM Mobility Research Center • LatinX • Mott Park Recreation Area • Mott-Warsh Gallery • Shops on Saginaw • Sloan Museum of Discovery • St. Paul Episcopal •The Whiting (FIM) • Totem Books • University of Michigan – Flint’s Frances Willson Thompson Library • Whaley Historic House Museum Additionally, multiple restaurants have signed on to offer “810 Day” specials as part of the Be a Tourist festivities.
So far, confirmed eateries include Blackstone’s Pub, Biggby Coffee, Café Rhema, Churchill’s, Flint Crepe Company, Flint Farmers’ Market, Hoffman’s Deco Deli, La Azteca, The Poke Bowl, Queens Provisions, Tenacity Brewing, Torch Bar and Grill, White Horse Tavern, Blue Line Donuts at Carriage Town Bakery, Sauce Italian American Kitchen, Simmer Rooftop Bar, Soriano’s, Spectacular Spudz, Sweetwater Tavern and Xolo. “Be A Tourist in Your Hometown is a one-day event, but we believe in embracing the spirit of the day year-round,” Steward said. “You don’t have to wait for Aug.
10 to explore our parks, take in our museums, or find a new favorite brunch spot. “This event creates community pride. .
.. Don’t forget this is in your backyard.
We have world class art museums and world class talent in our area.” The event will take place from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug.
10, and buses will be on a 20 to 30-minute rotation at Brush Park or The Whiting. To purchase your Be a Tourist tickets, or to sign up as a volunteer for the event, click here . “We want to create great ambassadors.
We need to talk about the great things in Flint and Genesee County. We put the world on wheels,” Steward said. “This is an opportunity for us to restore that community pride, and give everyone the opportunity to speak about it for themselves.
“I think it’s so important for us to be ambassadors for our community as we embrace culture and become a more accessible community. I want this to be an opportunity for families to be able to engage. I want to see grandmothers coming out with their grandkids, and make this a very family-oriented event from the north side of Flint, to the east side, to Fenton and all across Genesee County.
This is something that has really shaped our history and our community. Let’s create some family connections and family memories, so their children and their children’s’ children know how great of a place this really is.” Read more on MLive.
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