Frequently Asked Questions

The live tour will feature five fabulously decorated homes throughout Greater Akron. Sponsors are also invited to the Patron Party at a sixth private residence on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. The virtual tour will feature professionally filmed tours of seven exquisite homes. 

Early bird tickets are $40* each for the live or virtual tour, or $65* for a package of both live and virtual tour tickets**. Early bird tickets can be purchased online from Aug. 23 through Oct. 31. As an added benefit, the full ticket price for the live or virtual tour is tax deductible (minus the online processing fee). General admission ticket sales begin Nov. 1, with live or virtual tour tickets available for $45* each, or $75* for a package of both live and virtual tour tickets.

We also offer a Patron Party ticket bundle for $250* each. A portion of the Patron Party ticket bundle purchase is tax deductible.

*Ticket price does not include online processing fees.
**To receive the package discount, guests must purchase the live and virtual ticket package in a single transaction. Live and virtual tour tickets purchased separately do not qualify for the discounted rate. Tickets are not refundable but may be transferred to another guest.

As the signature fundraiser of the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, all proceeds from the Sugar Plum Tour remain in Greater Akron to benefit your community. Since 2005, GCEF has reinvested nearly $920,000 into programs that positively impact the local LGBTQ+ community and Greater Akron as a whole. By purchasing tickets to or becoming a sponsor of the Sugar Plum Tour, you are generously supporting grants and scholarships that advance the right of the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community to live safely, openly and authentically. We couldn't do it without you!

Tickets are not refundable but may be transferred to another guest. Please contact Affiliate Fund Event & Volunteer Coordinator Malia Rivera-Speer at mrivera@akroncf.org for assistance transferring your ticket. She will return your email during normal business hours. 

Ticket transfer requests for the live tour will be accepted until noon on Friday, Dec. 5. Ticket transfer requests for the virtual tour will be accepted until 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19.

Guests are encouraged to take photos of their tour experience and share it on social media, tagging @GayCommunityEndowmentFund on Facebook and Instagram. Photos are for personal use only and may not be used for commercial purposes. Please be respectful of the homeowners and stay within the indicated tour path. Some areas of the homes may be closed off for privacy.

By purchasing a ticket to the tour, you agree that a professional photographer and/or videographer may be present to capture highlights of the tour. Photos and/or videos may appear in the Gay Community Endowment Fund's or Akron Community Foundation's social media posts, newsletters and other channels without compensation to the subjects. We retain all ownership of videos, photos and media obtained during the tour.

By purchasing a ticket for a minor, you agree that a parent or guardian has given permission for said minor to be photographed and/or recorded.

Becoming a sponsor is an excellent opportunity for businesses and individuals to show their support for inclusion and diversity in our community. Corporate and individual sponsorships range from $750+ to $15,000+. Sponsors receive tickets to both the live and virtual tours, as well as the private Patron Party, which will be held before the live tour on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 6 to 11 p.m. Sponsors at the $2,500 level and above are also invited to a special brunch and preview tour with this year’s homeowners. You can view a full menu of tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities on our website, or learn more by contacting Malia Rivera-Speer at mrivera@akroncf.org or 330-436-5649. 

Please note: We gladly accept gifts from donor-advised funds and IRAs. However, per IRS regulations, sponsorships from donor-advised funds and IRAs cannot receive any benefits, including but not limited to event tickets, gifts, food, beverages and other items of value. If you plan to support the Sugar Plum Tour with a gift from your donor-advised fund or IRA, please contact Deb Hoffman at dhoffman@akroncf.org or 330-436-5614.

The Sugar Plum planning committee is excited to welcome sponsors to a private home for the 2025 Patron Party! Sponsors and Patron Party ticket holders will receive an email at the email address they registered with on Eventbrite earlier in the week of the 2025 tour with detailed instructions about this year's Patron Party. For the homeowners' privacy, we will not publish the Patron Party home's address before this time. Please ensure that you receive all Eventbrite emails before tour week.

More details about the Patron Party will be published on this page at a later date. 

Guests may tour the homes in any order from 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. Out of respect for the homeowners, please do not arrive before 12 p.m. or after 5 p.m.

A mobile-friendly online tour guide, including a map, will be sent to the email address you used to purchase your tickets by 9 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder. If you are still unable to find the email from Eventbrite, email mrivera@akroncf.org for assistance. 

There will be a limited number of printed tour guides available at each home during the live tour. Please only take one printed tour guide for your group or party. The printed tour guides go quickly, so we recommend arriving at your first location early to secure one for your group.

Yes, guests are encouraged to take photos of their tour experience and share it on social media, tagging @GayCommunityEndowmentFund on Facebook and Instagram. Photos are for personal use only and may not be used for commercial purposes. Please be respectful of the homeowners and stay within the indicated tour path. Some areas of the homes may be closed off for privacy.

Akron Community Foundation and the Gay Community Endowment Fund are not responsible for any accessibility issues in the live tour homes. While we do our best to select accessible homes, some of the homes on the tour are very old and may have narrow hallways, steep stairs or other architectural elements that are not accessible. 

Akron Community Foundation and the Gay Community Endowment Fund are not responsible for anything that occurs at any of the properties. This includes weather conditions, parking, and maintenance of homes.

The live Sugar Plum Tour goes on, rain or shine! We will only cancel the live tour if the county issues a level 3 snow emergency. 

Parking instructions vary for each home. You will find individual parking instructions in the digital tour guide that will be sent to the email address you used to purchase your tickets on Eventbrite the morning of the tour.

Please do not park in any driveway, and leave space for surrounding houses to use their driveways.

Please note: You park at your own risk. 

Akron Community Foundation and the Gay Community Endowment Fund reserve the discretion to revoke your ticket for any reason and without a refund. We ask that all guests, including minors, be respectful of the homes, homeowners, the neighborhoods, volunteers and other guests. 

Please refrain from cutting through other properties in the neighborhoods. Please clean up any trash that you may have on the tour. 

While we encourage festive attire, we ask that you dress appropriately for a family-friendly environment. 

You will receive an email from Eventbrite by 9 a.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 13, with a link to view the tour. If you do not receive the email by 10 a.m., please check your spam folder or email mrivera@akroncf.org for assistance. The email will be sent to the email address you used to purchase your tickets. If you purchased gift tickets, your recipients will also receive the link to view the tour at the email addresses you provided at the time of registration.

Tickets will remain available for purchase until noon on Friday, Dec. 19.

Please click the link in the email to view the web page with the tour videos. The videos will all be available on a single web page, allowing you to view the tour at your leisure in any order you choose. The videos can be watched on your phone, tablet, laptop or home computer. You can also connect your computer to your TV to enjoy a big-screen tour experience.

The tour videos will be available until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. During that time, you may enjoy the videos as many times as you would like. You can also choose to start the tour one day and finish it another. Make this a holiday season to remember! 

The tour videos will be available from Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. After that time, they will expire and will no longer be available for viewing. Refunds cannot be issued if you are unable to view the tour.

We strongly encourage you to test your internet connection prior to the tour. Unfortunately, the Gay Community Endowment Fund is not able to troubleshoot our guests’ technology issues. We recommend contacting your internet provider for assistance.

The virtual tour videos are for personal use only and may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of Akron Community Foundation. Guests are not permitted to record, screenshot or share any content from the tour. For more information, please call 330-376-8522.