DETROIT, Aug. 31, 2026 – MotorCities National Heritage Area will celebrate Michigan’s rich automotive and labor heritage during its 2026 Awards of Excellence Luncheon and Michigan Auto Heritage Day on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 11 a.m. in Livonia, MI.
This year’s event will give guests the rare opportunity to experience a private collection of automotive, music and movie history that is not open to the public. The $55 ticket includes online processing fees through Eventbrite, admission to the private collection, the awards program and a buffet luncheon.
The annual event brings together automotive enthusiasts, historians, community leaders, industry representatives and advocates for Michigan’s automotive heritage to recognize outstanding achievements in preserving, interpreting and promoting the state’s automotive and labor history.
During the event, MotorCities will honor Nancy Thompson with its 2026 Milestone Award for her nearly three decades of extraordinary service to the organization and Michigan’s automotive heritage. Thompson’s involvement began before MotorCities received its official designation in 1998, and she has played a pivotal role in advancing its mission through community outreach, education, heritage planning, grant writing and organizational leadership.
Among her many contributions, Thompson helped secure funding for the restoration of the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant facade and the gatehouse at the former Haven Hill Estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford. She also coordinated the creation of more than 100 wayside exhibits and has provided longstanding leadership as a MotorCities Board Member.
“Michigan’s automotive heritage is a story of innovation and the hard work of those who worked to put the world on wheels,” said Executive Director Shawn Pomaville-Size of MotorCities National Heritage Area. “The Awards of Excellence gives us an opportunity to celebrate the people and organizations keeping that history alive. We are especially proud to recognize Nancy Thompson as our Milestone honoree, whose decades of dedication have made a lasting impact, here at MotorCities.”
Finalists for the 2026 Awards of Excellence will be announced in September in the categories of Auto and Labor Heritage Tourism, Education and Interpretation, and Revitalization.
So far, several organizations and businesses have supported the Awards of Excellence Luncheon and Michigan Auto Heritage Day as a sponsor.
Presenting Sponsors
Ford House
GM Heritage Center
Patron Sponsors
Don Nicholson Enterprises
Gilmore Car Museum
Supporting Sponsors
Analyze Accounting
Doeren Mayhew
Grigg Graphic Services, Inc.
Stan Shelton Photography
Event Sponsor
Merze Tate Explorers
Sponsorship opportunities are still available and can be reviewed online at: https://bit.ly/2026-awards-of-excellence-luncheon.
Guests are encouraged to reserve their place for this unique opportunity to experience automotive history in an exclusive setting alongside fellow enthusiasts, industry leaders and champions of Michigan’s automotive heritage.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/2026-motorcities-awards-of-excellence-event.
About MotorCities NHA:
Established in 1998 and headquartered in Detroit, the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership is a nonprofit corporation affiliated with the National Park Service that serves 16 counties representing a population of over 6.5 million. Its mission is to preserve, interpret and promote the region’s rich automotive and labor heritage. Regional programs inspire residents and visitors with an appreciation for how the automobile changed Michigan, the nation, and the world. To learn more about the organization, visit www.motorcities.org or follow their Facebook and LinkedIn pages at www.facebook.com/motorcities and www.linkedin.com/company/motorcities-national-heritage-area
MEDIA CONTACT:
LaTrisha Jackson
MotorCities National Heritage Area
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