Luxury Home Tour
Want to gawk at the latest in luxury home features, from designer kitchens to massive wine cellars? This year's Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour will feature 17 homes, the largest since 2008. All homes on the tour are valued at more than $1 million, and are located throughout the Twin Cities. The tour opens Friday and runs for three weekends, through June 23. Tour hours are 1-7 p.m. Fridays and noon-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Passports for all 17 homes are $20 in advance, at Caribou Coffee shops, and $25 at the homes. Single-home tickets, $5, also are available at each home. For more information, visit www.luxuryhometour.net.
History strolls
Preserve Minneapolis, a nonprofit dedicated to improving city life via revitalization, has announced this season's lineup for its popular walking and biking tours of the city's historic places and neighborhoods.
This summer, Preserve Minneapolis will offer 27 tours that range from the seedy (flophouses, bars and red-light districts) to the saintly ("Church Week"), led by guides who tell the human stories that make city history come to life.
Most tours are $8 per person, and tours fill up quickly; participants are asked to pre-register online, at www.preserveminneapolis.org/wpfile/tours/.
Log homes on tour
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Real Log Homes in Minnesota, two log homes will be opened for free tours. One home, in Cannon Falls, Minn., can be seen by appointment during the month of June. Another log home, in Outing, Minn., will be open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. For details, visit www.realloghomes.com.
Free garden seminars
Looking to enhance your landscape? Gertens is offering a free Spring Perennial Festival June 8-9, with workshops held every hour from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Visitors will learn how to install and maintain a perennial garden and a rain garden, how to attract butterflies and bees, and how to grow berries and other fruit. Gertens is located at 5500 Blaine Av., Inver Grove Heights.
Antique show
On the lookout for vintage garden accessories or a piece of original art? You'll find plenty to browse at the Antiques and Decorative Arts Show next weekend. About 45 dealers, selected by the Minnesota Antiques Dealers Association for their quality and affordable prices, will be in attendance. Show hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 8 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. June 9. Admission is $6, valid for both days, and a discount coupon, for $1 off, is available online at www.mnantiquesdealers.com. The show will be held on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, in the Fine Arts Building.
