(FLINT, Mich. – July 10, 2024) After a five-year hiatus, Explore Flint & Genesee – in partnership with Genesee County and Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) Flint – is bringing back its popular Be a Tourist in Your Hometown event on Aug. 10, 2024, 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 & Genesee 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.”
Here’s how it works: Residents and visitors can purchase tickets either in advance at ExploreFlintandGenesee.org/bat or on the day of the event at Brush Park in downtown Flint or the FIM 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.”
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, and 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, 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.
To build excitement around the event and the region’s many offerings, Explore Flint & Genesee will share daily content about local attractions – both those on and off the tours – at Facebook.com/ExploreFlint, Instagram.com/ExploreFlint, and ExploreFlintandGenesee.org/bat.
“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.”
To purchase your Be a Tourist tickets, or to sign up as a volunteer for the event, visit ExploreFlintandGenesee.org/bat.