Marble Alley Lofts in downtown Knoxville is one of the featured properties on the inaugural Urban Home & Garden Tour. Image courtesy of www.marblealleylofts.com.

Knoxville residents and visitors will have an opportunity to participate in an Urban Home & Garden Tour. The East Tennessee Community Design Center (ETCDC) is conducting the inaugural tour Friday, August 5, 5:30-8 p.m. and Saturday, August 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

The tour will offer access to downtown Knoxville spaces that feature extraordinary outdoor components. The check-in station at the historic Phoenix Building, 418 S. Gay St. will be the first stop.

Tickets for the event are $30 each, and all proceeds will benefit the Design Center.

“This self-guided tour of downtown will allow individuals to see creative outdoor features in downtown Knoxville that will inspire participants to truly utilize the outdoor areas around their own homes and see what downtown has to offer as a residential option,” said Wayne Blasius, executive director for the East Tennessee Community Design Center.

Featured properties on the tour include:
• Crown Court Condos
• Emporium Lofts
• Gallery Lofts
• Jackson Ateliers
• Kendrick Place
• Marble Alley Lofts
• The Carson
• The Holston

“Many people think they have to live outside the city center to have great outdoor options,” said Daryl Johnson, ETCDC board member and Urban Home & Garden Tour committee chair. “The Urban Home & Garden Tour will overturn that assumption, and attendees will enjoy residential buildings that are rich with history and fresh with original design and charm.”

ETCDC receives pro bono design assistance from area architects, landscape architects, planners and other professionals. For more information, visit www.communitydc.org.