Virtual Home & Cottage Tour returns
Oct. 20—TRAVERSE CITY — As a fundraiser for Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan, the impact of the annual Northern Home and Cottage Tour going virtual last year was a concern.
Those worries proved unfounded.
The first virtual Northern Home & Cottage Tour raised a record $20,000 for Child and Family Services, setting the bar for the second virtual tour which launches Oct. 29. It's the 16th overall tour.
"It was a real pivotal year for us last year," My North Media Marketing Coordinator Erin Lutke said. "We were (concerned) that donations were going to take a hit. That's important to them and they really rely on that.
"As it turned out, it was the opposite. It was really cool to be able to do that."
Going virtual was done by necessity in 2020, but provided some unique opportunities.
First and foremost, Lutke said it provided "more in-person time with the builder." On-video builders could spend more time discussing the features of each particular home as well as on the decisions that went into the outdoor space, master bedroom, master bathroom or the kitchen.
Lutke said the virtual Home & Cottage Tour also makes it easier for "builders to sign up homeowners" because instead of 600 people walking through a home in a weekend, owners only need allow access for a two-hour video shoot.
Lutke said the virtual tour also makes stops easier to access, whether because of parking limitations or if the ticket holder lives far away.
"There's a couple of reasons we kept it virtual," she said, adding the virtual elements will likely continue moving forward in a likely hybrid approach.
The 2021 tour features eight homes, all of which have a common factor outside of local builders and contractors. Stops on the 2021 tour are in Northport, Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Interlochen, Elk Rapids, Charlevoix and East Jordan.
"All eight homes are next to a body of water," Lutke said. "There's one on a river, the Crystal River, and Lake Michigan of course. There's also Lake Charlevoix, Green Lake, two on East (Grand Traverse) Bay and one on Elk Lake."
The 2021 builders on the tour include:
* Render Construction
* CMB Construction
* MPN
* Scott Norris Construction
* Trillium Shore
* Northwest Carpentry
* Archer Contracting
* Floor Covering Brokers
My North Media again paired with Greg MacMaster and Eagle Eye Video Production. Lutke said My North Media has also improved as videographers from 2020 to year two of the project.
Golden-Fowler Home Furnishings returns as official sponsor for the tour.
"(Owner) Mike Mahn is a big supporter of not only the tour, but of Child and Family Services."
Honor Onekema Building Supplies and McLain Designs are the featured sponsors of the Home & Cottage Tour.
The suggested donation for the Home & Cottage Tour is $15. Lutke said any amount is appreciated.
Those purchasing a ticket through https://mynorth.com/tour21 receive an email with a unique password. When the tour launches Oct. 29, 'ticket holders' will receive another email with a link to the virtual tour page, which will stay up through the end of 2021.
Because all of the proceeds benefit Child and Family services and because the tour is virtual, organizers "kindly ask that you purchase at least one ticket per household and do not share access with those outside of your household," according to the website.
