Walking through city history

Get to know the city this summer. Preserve Minneapolis continues its series of walking tours that explore various neighborhoods and other highlights. Coming up is a tour of the Como-Harriet Streetcar Line (2 p.m. July 31). The tour will include remnants of the original Twin Cities Rapid Transit streetcar line, the former Lyndale Hotel site and the Linden Hills business district. The tour includes a stop for ice cream and a vintage streetcar ride.

Next up is "Dinkytown: A Living History" (6 p.m. Aug. 4). John Pillsbury's decision to locate the University of Minnesota on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River set the stage for Dinkytown's destiny as a commercial district. The tour will explore Dinkytown's early years, signature buildings, legacy businesses and its role in student protests of the 1960s.

The commercial district around E. Hennepin Avenue is the subject of another tour (10 a.m. Aug. 14). "Historic East Hennepin" will offer a behind-the-scenes history of the streets, businesses and colorful people who have shaped this area, including landmarks such as Surdyk's, Kramarczuk's, Historic Main Street and Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Tours are $9 per person. Participants must preregister and pay for tickets online via eventbrite.com. More information is available at ­preserveminneapolis.org/events/summer-walking-tours.

3 Minneapolis art fairs

Find a piece of one-of-a-kind artwork for your home at one of three urban art fairs.

The top-ranked Uptown Art Fair opens next weekend, featuring more than 350 artisans displaying their wares, including sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, mixed media and more. There will also be live nonstop music on the performance stage, beer gardens, about two dozen food vendors and interactive family fun. Hours are noon-8 p.m. Aug. 5, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Aug. 6 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 7, at Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue S. and surrounding blocks in Minneapolis.

The Powderhorn Art Fair also comes to town next weekend, featuring 184 regional and national artists, as well as local exhibitors. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 6, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 7, at Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Av. S., Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, July 31 is the final day for the Loring Park Art Festival, a juried event featuring 14 visual artists, strolling musicians, stage performances, children's activities and food booths, held in Loring Park near downtown Minneapolis. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Garden star

One of the premier private gardens in the country will be open for a rare look this week as part of the Garden Conservancy's Open Days program. Wallace Gardens in Medina, designed and created by owner Wally Marx, was featured in the international bestseller "1,001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die."

The formal garden includes more than two dozen garden rooms, including the Monet Color Garden, the Black and White Garden, the Ornamental Grasses Garden, the Roman Sculpture Garden, the Knot Garden and the Tuscan Temple.

The garden will be open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 6. Admission is $7. The garden is located at 2700 Parkview Dr., Medina.