HOMEARAMA 2026 runs three weekends this September, September 11-13, 18-20, and 25-27, and gives visitors a rare walk-through of brand-new custom homes built specifically for the show rather than a typical open house of homes already on the market. Anyone planning to go should know two things going in: it is not held at one address, and the homes themselves are worth planning around, not just the schedule. Here is what the event actually is, where this year's homes are, and what to expect once inside them.
What HOMEARAMA Actually Is
HOMEARAMA is an annual showcase of newly built, custom homes, organized by the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville, and the region's version has run every year since 1968. That distinguishes it from a standard home tour or open house circuit: builders construct show homes specifically to display current craftsmanship, materials, and floor plans, then open them to ticketed visitors for a limited run before the homes are finished out for their buyers or listed for sale. Visitors are walking through homes at their most polished, staged specifically to be shown, which is part of why the event draws people who have no immediate plans to buy as well as serious house hunters.
2026 Dates, Hours, and Tickets
The nine open days fall across three consecutive weekends:
- Weekend 1: September 11, 12, 13
- Weekend 2: September 18, 19, 20
- Weekend 3: September 25, 26, 27
Tour hours have followed the same pattern for the last several years: Friday 5-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday 1-6 p.m. A single ticket covers all nine days, so a visitor who buys once can spread their touring across multiple weekends rather than trying to see every home in one trip. Last year's admission was $15 online for adults and children 12 and up, $20 cash at the door, with children under 12 admitted free alongside a paying adult. The Building Industry Association has not published 2026 pricing as of this writing, so it's worth confirming the exact number on the official HOMEARAMA site or the BIA Louisville event calendar before heading out.
Local Tip: Because one ticket works for all nine days, there's no reason to rush every home into a single weekend. Pacing the visit across two or three trips makes it easier to actually absorb a floor plan instead of speed-walking through it.
Where the Homes Are This Year
HOMEARAMA is not a single-site event, which surprises a lot of first-time visitors. The 27 homes in this year's show are scattered across multiple subdivisions throughout Greater Louisville rather than concentrated in one neighborhood, continuing a format the show has used for years. In 2025, the homes stretched as far as Crestwood, Floyds Knobs, Mt. Washington, Shelbyville, Fisherville, and Finchville, alongside sites closer to the city. In 2024, the show was centered in Norton Commons.
Two of this year's confirmed locations sit on opposite sides of the East End:
- Lake Forest, in Prospect, where P.L. Lyons Architectural Builders is showing a home called "Second Sunrise"
- Kentbury Estates, also in Louisville's East End, where Diyanni Homes is showing its Brighton floor plan
Given the spread, checking the official HOMEARAMA map or app before setting out is worth the five minutes it takes. Grouping homes by subdivision rather than trying to zigzag across the county saves a surprising amount of driving time.
What to Actually Expect From the Homes
The homes confirmed for 2026 so far give a pretty clear read on what this year's show favors: restrained, detail-driven luxury rather than sheer size.
This Year's Confirmed Showcase Homes
P.L. Lyons' "Second Sunrise" in Lake Forest is not a typical new build. It's a complete fire restoration and full reconstruction, rebuilt with what the builder describes as timeless architecture and custom craftsmanship, including a Kohler backup generator built into the home's systems. P.L. Lyons has participated in HOMEARAMA for more than 50 years, so this entry carries the weight of a builder with a long track record in the show specifically.
Diyanni Homes' Brighton floor plan in Kentbury Estates runs 3,609 square feet with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a three-car garage. Notable details include a first-floor primary suite with a spa-style bathroom, custom cabinetry and quartzite countertops in the kitchen, two additional bedrooms in a daylight basement, and covered outdoor living space built into the plan rather than added on.
Stonelake Homes is also returning for 2026 after a strong showing in 2025, when its entry earned roughly 15 awards, including a tie for Best Overall and a win for Best Outdoor Living. The company hasn't released details on its 2026 home yet, but a builder with that kind of track record is generally worth prioritizing on a first pass through the show.
Design Themes Worth Watching For
Based on what's confirmed so far, a few patterns show up across more than one of this year's homes: first-floor primary suites, finished daylight basements used as genuine living space rather than storage, quartzite and other natural-stone kitchen surfaces, and outdoor living areas built into the original floor plan instead of tacked on later. Anyone curious about where high-end Louisville home design has been trending more broadly can compare notes with a rundown of the latest luxury home design trends covering the wider market, not just this year's show homes.
Is a HOMEARAMA Ticket Worth It?
For anyone who has never been, HOMEARAMA rewards people who treat it like touring, not shopping. A few things make the day go better:
- Wear shoes comfortable enough for a full walk-through with stairs, since most show homes run two or three stories including a finished basement
- Budget at least 30 to 45 minutes per home if the goal is actually absorbing the layout, longer for larger builds like the Brighton
- Ask the builder's representatives questions directly. They're there specifically to talk through material choices, square footage, and pricing, and most visitors don't take advantage of that
- Check each home's photography policy at the door rather than assuming it's the same as the last one
None of this requires any intention to buy. A large share of HOMEARAMA's audience goes purely for renovation ideas or to see what a specific builder's work looks like in person before hiring them for something smaller.
What HOMEARAMA Means for House Hunting in the Same Neighborhoods
Because this year's confirmed sites sit in Lake Forest and Kentbury Estates, both in the East End, the show doubles as a preview of what new construction actually costs and looks like in neighborhoods where most of the housing stock is decades older. Anyone comparing a brand-new build to an existing home in the same part of the county should think through whether a move-in-ready home is actually the right fit before assuming new construction is automatically the simpler choice. Buyers specifically weighing Prospect against other East End options can use this year's show as a real, walkable data point rather than relying on listing photos alone.
Touring a HOMEARAMA show home is a good way to calibrate expectations before a real search starts, whether that means a custom build, new construction, or an established home with room to renovate. Anyone who leaves the show wanting something closer to move-in ready can also browse current luxury homes for sale across the same East End communities. Laura Rice, who leads Laura Rice & Associates at Lenihan Sotheby's International Realty and works throughout the East End, including Prospect and the neighborhoods around Lake Forest, can help turn HOMEARAMA inspiration into an actual plan. Reach out to start the conversation.
