2013 Fall Twin Cities Parade of Homes Sept. 7-29

~Written by Wendy Erlien

If you make it an annual event to check out the Parade of Homes throughout the Twin Cites, here are 10 things to know before heading out:

• Parade of Homes models are open noon to 6 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays starting Sept. 7 until Sept. 29, 2013.

• This fall, 324 new homes will be open during the event presented by the Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC).

• Guidebooks are available at Twin Cities Holiday Stations and include features on the homes plus special events and design trends.

• All model homes are free to tour with the exception of three dream homes that request a $5 donation to support the BATC Foundation.

• The three dream homes are located in Wayzata ($1.994 million), Chaska ($1.87 million) and Afton ($2.18 million).

• Price ranges of homes on the tour vary, from a $179,000 home in Big Lake to a $2.18 million home in Afton.

• Homes are located across the Twin Cities area, with the majority in Plymouth (23), Woodbury and Blaine (22), Lakeville (19) and Maple Grove (16) and Edina (10).

• You can plan your Parade of Homes trip online at www.ParadeofHomes.org or a mobile-friendly site m.ParadeofHomes.org.

• The Parade of Homes also features a Green Path Energy Efficient Home Tour in partnership with Xcel Energy of about 140 homes.

• The Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase opens Sept. 27-29. Tour 88 remodeled homes from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 and from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 and Sunday, 29.

If you don't want to travel far, the following is a list of the four homes in Shakopee that are participating in the Parade of Homes (scroll down):

• Fieldstone Family Homes, Inc., 163 Dongola Lane
• Key Land Homes, 2260 Jennifer Lane 
• Charles Merritt Homes, Inc., 1342 Maple Ridge 
• Cuddigan Custom Builders, LLC, 8409 Portage Lane 

For full details, search "Shakopee" on the Parade of Homes website.