Five festively decorated homes across Greater Akron will open their doors Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m., kicking off the 25th anniversary edition of the Sugar Plum Tour of Holiday Homes. The tour, which benefits the Gay Community Endowment Fund of Akron Community Foundation, pairs a live walkthrough with a virtual option for those who'd rather tour from the couch.
This year's live lineup spans a beautifully preserved 1911 Highland Square home and a 1929 French Eclectic residence to stunning French-inspired estates and a thoughtfully renovated colonial, according to akroncf.org. One standout on the roster, per sugarplumtour.org, is a 1989 two-story colonial remodeled throughout, featuring a finished basement and a sunroom with a wood-burning stove.
For those who can't make it in person, or simply want a second look, a virtual tour launches Saturday, Dec. 12, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes access to eight homes, including the venue for the 2026 Patron Party. The virtual option remains viewable from Dec. 12 through Jan. 3, 2027, per the tour's FAQ page, letting ticket holders revisit the video tours as many times as they like during that window.
Ticket Prices and Sponsorship Perks
General admission tickets run $45 each for the live or virtual tours, or $75 for a combination ticket covering both. Tickets are available online at sugarplumtour.org. Sponsorships start at $600 and include tickets to both the live and virtual tours, admission to the private Patron Party, and a commemorative holiday ornament. Guests can also purchase a $250 Patron Party Bundle, which includes access to both tours plus the private Patron Party, the organization's FAQ page notes.
Would-be buyers should note the tour's policies before checking out: tickets are not refundable, though they can be transferred to another guest, and photos taken during the tour are for personal use only, not commercial purposes, according to the FAQ. On the tax front, the full price of live and virtual tour tickets is tax-deductible, and $175 of the $250 Patron Party Bundle qualifies as well, per the tour's ticket page.
Where the Money Goes
All proceeds benefit the Gay Community Endowment Fund, which supports the Greater Akron LGBTQ+ community by providing grants and scholarships that enhance the right to live safely, openly and authentically. Last year's Sugar Plum Tour raised more than $165,000 for the fund, the organization reported. Founded in 2001, the fund has awarded grants totaling more than $1 million since its founding, and its most recent round of awards included 10 grants totaling $84,000 to programs serving the region's LGBTQ+ community.
Estimates of the fund's total size vary slightly depending on the source: one page states the fund has grown to nearly $3 million since its inception, while another puts the figure at almost $2.9 million, both citing more than $1 million reinvested into the community. Separately, the fund's FAQ page notes that since 2005, it has reinvested more than $1 million into programs benefiting the local LGBTQ+ community and Greater Akron as a whole.
The foundation announced this year's ticket sales on Oct. 16, 2026, before Cleveland.com reported them on Oct. 21, 2026. With the tour marking a quarter-century of decking out local homes for charity, the milestone year features five live-tour homes and an eight-home virtual lineup this holiday season.
