(WXYZ) — The 2026 annual Hospitality Included Festival is set to take place at the Detroit Food Commons on Sunday, Aug. 16, bringing some of the area's best restaurants and bars to one place.
The festival, which is in its fifth year, is a family-friendly event that is also put on in partnership with the North End Main Street District, Vanguard Community Development, the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network and the Detroit Poeple's Food Co-Op.
"For one day, Detroit becomes the table where culture, food, hospitality, and community come together," a post on Instagram reads.
The festival is once again using community tickets. It's a pay-it-forward model that keeps the festival affordable and welcoming for everyone, and people can purchase tickets for the community rather than themselves.
Each ticket is $5 each and covers the entry for one person. If enough tickets are sold, everyone gets in for free. Otherwise, after all prepaid community tickets have been used, guests pay $5 at the door. You can purchase community tickets on the organization's website.
"We’ve always believed this festival should feel like it belongs to everyone. Community Ticketing turns that belief into action and lets each of us help open the door for someone else," the organizers said in the FAQs on community tickets.
Last year, organizers said 4,000 people attended the festival and nobody paid admission.
This year's confirmed restaurants and bars include:
- Bar Gabi
- Bev's Bagels
- Bryce Detroit
- Chenin
- Collect Beer Bar
- Dakota Inn
- Dutch Girl
- Echelon Kitchen & Bar
- Freya
- Leña
- Marrow
- Michigan & Trumbull Pizza
- No Sauce BBQ
- Takoi
- Waka
- Yum Village
According to its website, Hospitality Included was founded by Thor Jones in 2020.
"We operate at the intersection of hospitality, culture, and systems change — creating spaces, staffing experiences, and building infrastructure rooted in connection, safety, celebration, freedom, and belonging. Our work exists to challenge the assumption that excellence must be exclusive, and to prove that access to exceptional food, drink, service, and education should not require wealth, insider knowledge, or permission," the website reads.
