(FLINT, Mich. – July 5, 2016) How far can you stretch a dollar these days? From downtown Flint to For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum, and to numerous destinations in between, that is, if you hop aboard the “Be A Tourist in Your Home Town” shuttle.
Presented by the Flint & Genesee Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the fourth-annual “Be a Tourist in Your Hometown” is a one-day excursion that gives local residents and non-residents alike the opportunity to experience some of the best of what the community has to offer – all for only $1. The event takes place July 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from its hub at the Riverfront Banquet Center in downtown Flint
“Tourists” purchase passports that grants access to more than two dozen venues throughout Flint. The passports are also valid for a 10-percent discount on food and soft drink purchases at 15 restaurants in downtown Flint. Complimentary transportation between attractions is provided by co-sponsor Mass Transportation Authority (MTA) on designated MTA “Tourist” buses.
“Be A Tourist is a great way to get better acquainted or reacquainted with Flint, and all at an unbeatable price,” said CVB Director DeAndra McCain. “And because many downtown restaurants are offering discounts on food and non-alcoholic beverages that day, it all adds up to a fun, relaxing and informative afternoon with some excellent places to dine afterwards.”
Participating venues: Applewood Estate, Buick Gallery and Research Center, Edible Flint Demonstration Garden, Flint Children’s Museum, Flint Farmers’ Market, Flint Handmade Summer Arts & Crafts Street Fair, Flint Institute of Arts, Flint Public Library, Food Bank of Eastern Michigan’s Hunger Solution Center, For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum, Emflower, Genesee County Gospel Festival, Greater Flint Arts Council, Knob Hill Bed & Breakfast, Longway Planetarium, MTA Downtown Transportation Center, Michigan School for the Deaf, Sloan Museum, Stockton Center at Spring Grove Museum, Superintendent’s Cottage, Whaley Historic House Museum, The Whiting and more.
The 2016 event also features several new attractions and restaurants, including the Flint Handmade Summer Arts & Craft Street Fair at Flint Farmers’ Market. Local artisans will be selling handcrafted wares, including jewelry, garden art, purses, pottery and more on First Street between Stevens and Wallenberg.
Last year’s event drew a record crowd of nearly 1,000 participants – an increase of 58 percent over the turnout in 2014. Even though the event was a direct appeal to local residents to experience Flint & Genesee attractions anew, nearly a dozen states were represented among the tourists, based on the area codes and zip codes entered on the registration logs. West coast states of Washington and California were represented, along with the East coast states of Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and Florida. The states in between were Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. A couple of international visitors were from Canada and Switzerland.
Passports for 2016 can be purchased online at https://webdev.flintandgenesee.org/events/tourist-home-town-flint/, where you also can see a full list of participating venues. The passports can be picked at the Riverfront Center on the day of the event, where tourists will also receive their maps and catch the MTA shuttle.