DETROIT – The Hospitality Included Festival is set to return to Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood this year after a two-year break, with more than 40 of the city’s best restaurants, bars, pop-ups and DJs coming together for the event.
“After nearly two years away, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved cultural event back to Detroit. We never stopped working, and we never stopped believing in the power of this festival to bring the city together,” according to the Hospitality Included website. “Thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many, it’s time to celebrate again.”
Recommended Videos
When and where is the Hospitality Included Festival?
The event will be held from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24, at the Detroit Design District at 6545 Oakland Avenue. Attendees will be able to purchase food items from their favorite Detroit spots, which will be operating as vendors at the outdoor festival.
The vendors include well-established spots, like Shewolf, Takoi and Dutch Girl Donuts, and newer spots, like Chenin, Dirty Shake and Vesper. (A full list is included at the end of this article.)
Hospitality Included, which was founded by Thor Jones in 2020, promotes support of the hospitality industry. The organization is hosting the event in partnership with The North End Main Street District, The Detroit Design District and Vanguard Community Development.
Community ticketing model
This year, the festival will be powered through community ticketing.
Every $5 ticket that is purchased will pay for someone else’s entry.
“You’re not just buying a ticket, you’re making sure a neighbor, a friend, or even a stranger feels welcome,” according to a social media post. If we sell enough, nobody pays at the door.”
The pay-it-forward model is designed to make the event accessible for more members of the community.
“When we invest in each other, we create more than just a festival,” the organizers said in a post. “We create a sense of belonging that lasts long after the day is over. That is how we ensure hospitality is included, not just in name, but in everything we do.”
Once all of the prepaid community tickets have been used, people will pay $5 at the door to get in.
So far, around 3,041 community tickets have been purchased. Hospitality Included said they are aiming to sell 6,000 to 7,500 tickets to make the festival free for everyone.
For more information on purchasing a ticket, visit here.
List of restaurants, bars and pop-ups participating
Here’s a full list of the restaurants, bars and pop-ups that will be at the Hospitality Included Festival this year:
- Marrow
- Ayiti Spaghetti
- Freya
- Black on Both Sides
- Chartreuse
- Dirty Shake
- Ladder 4
- Shewolf
- Fast Friends
- Dutch Girl Donuts
- Khana
- The Skip
- Jerk at Nite
- Father Forgive Me
- Fried Chicken & Caviar
- Vecino
- Chef Amanda Saab
- Flowers of Vietnam
- Vinyl Tasting
- Waka
- Standby
- Nourish Ramen
- Good Cakes & Bakes
- JB’s Ice Pops
- Takoi
- MJ’s North End Ice Cream Parlor
- Leña
- Pocket Change
- Shell Shock’d Tacos
- Street Beet
- Yum Village
- Michigan & Trumbull
- Tall Trees Cafe
- Homegirl Kitchen
- Peso
- Little Ghost
- Vesper
- Chenin
- Someday
- Indigo Culinary