even ul calendar

GREAT EVENTS MAKE UP A FULL CALENDAR OF FUN ALL YEAR LONG! an

Our community has a great lineup of events that happen all year long. See our website for specific details on these and other great events happening around Greater Mankato.

Mankato Craft Beer Expo

| January | The Annual Mankato Craft Beer Expo is hosted at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center and showcases the offerings of craft breweries here in Minnesota, as well as all over the United States.

Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic

| January | In the state of hockey, there is no better experience than outdoors on a frozen lake in Minnesota. The Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic takes place at Spring Lake Park in North Mankato and is a tradition that will create memories of a lifetime.

Bookin’ On Belgrade

| May | Bookin’ On Belgrade takes place on Belgrade Ave. in the City Center North Mankato and is a nearly 5K Family Fun Run and Walk. Registrants get a t-shirt, grab bag, extra goodies and children get a free book.

CityArt Walking Sculpture Tour

| May | See and enjoy art out in the open where you will find new sculptures from artists across the US. New sculptures are installed every spring and can be enjoyed nearly all year long.

Songs on the Lawn

| June | Songs on the Lawn is an opportunity for co-workers, friends, and families from all around the region to gather in the City Center and enjoy live music from area bands. Lunch and snacks from local vendors are available for purchase.

Red, Hot, Boom

| July | The area’s most spectacular 4th of July celebration. Riverfront Park opens at 5 p.m. with live entertainment, food and beverages. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. and are synced to music from Radio Mankato.

Thunder of Drums

| July | The Thunder of Drums is a sight to be seen and heard! You will be blown off your bleacher by the fantastic drum corps competing in a show of soaring musical and visual artistry at Minnesota State University, Mankato campus. Net proceeds support the local Kiwanis youth programs and the Mankato ’77 Lancers Marching Band.

North Mankato Fun Days

| July | North Mankato Fun Days consists of four days of fun for people of all ages. Fun Days offers a variety of activities including a parade, kiddie parade, carnival, softball tournaments, live music, and more.

Blues on Belgrade

| July | A great line up of popular Blues bands from all over perform on Belgrade Avenue in City Center North Mankato. Come rain or shine.

Ribfest

| August | Ribbers from all over the country travel to Mankato’s Riverfront Park to compete and be crowned the best around at Mankato’s Annual Ribfest. This fourday festival includes well-known musical guests performing every night and the tastiest ribs around. Come for the food, stay for the fun.

Alive After 5

| August | Alive After 5 is a free summer concert series held on Thursday nights in August. This fun after hours event hosted by City Center Partnership is a social gathering for co-workers, friends, and family to enjoy live music, food, and beverage in a relaxed outdoor setting. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy a fun evening out in City Center Mankato!

Bend of the River Music Festival

| September | Bend of the River Fall Festival is an all-day, all ages festival that will feature a Cornhole tournament, festival style foods, beer & beverages, interactive vendors, and more! This event is held on the practice fields of Blakeslee Stadium, so bring your chair and get ready for a full day of fun!

Indian Island Winery Annual Grape Stomp

| September | Heats of stompers compete in groups of two. There are great prizes for the top teams. There will also be a costume contest for the best dressed group. Enjoy the live music. Do some shopping among all the vendors that will be set up.

Mahkato Annual Traditional Pow-Wow

| September | Learn about Native American culture and enjoy traditional arts and crafts, delicious foods, drumming, singing and dancing at the annual Mahkato Pow-Wow, or Wacipi, at Land of Memories Park. The event takes place to honor the 38 Dakota warriors who died in the largest mass execution in U.S. history and to signify the reconciliation between the Dakota and local settlers following the Dakota Conflict.

Oktoberfest, Bier on Belgrade

| September | Bier on Belgrade activities take place on Belgrade Avenue and include a ceremonial first beer with city officials, music, a brat eating contest, bean bag toss area and hammerschlager.

PrideFest

| September | Come to Mankato and celebrate more than 20 years of pride and visibility for the LGBTQA community. Show your pride and rock your rainbow with fun activities for all ages!

Deep Valley Book Festival

| October | The Deep Valley Book Festival gets its name from the setting of the beloved children’s books (Betsy-Tacy) written by Mankato-born author Maud Hart Lovelace. The Festival provides readers the chance to interact with their favorite authors and meet new ones. This FREE family event features authors, illustrators, publishers, book sales and signings, a full day of programs, panel discussions, and drawings for books!

STOMP New Ulm! Morgan Creek Vineyards Annual Oktoberfest Grape Stomp

| October | Harvest festival with competitive grape stomping—an honorable salute to the past growing season! Take off your shoes and get ready to dance! Traditional Morris Dancers and Satori Violet Belly Dancers perform on the winery grounds. Dancing, stomping and revelry throughout the afternoon.

Mankato River Ramble

October This event embraces the best of both bicycling worlds off-road paved trails and quiet country roads with four scenic routes and four fun rest stops that feature great live music, delicious treats, cold and hot beverages and refreshing fruit. Four distances to choose from: 12, 26, 42 or 50 miles.

History Fest

| October | Step back in time at the annual History Fest at Jack McGowan’s Farm. You’ll find a variety of entertainers and activities, from reenactments to belly dancers and fire eaters. There are also plenty of hands-on activities for the kids including candle making, ziplining, giving carriage rides, and finding dragon tears in the sandbox.

Mankato Marathon

| October 20-21, 2023 | The Mankato Marathon is the boldest race in the Midwest showcasing dynamic courses and determined runners. These courses are the perfect blend of Mankato’s scenic trails and urban landscape, highlighting the beautiful Minnesota River Valley. There’s a race for every runner - Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay, 10K, 5K and KidsK.

Old Town Mankato Day of the Dead

| Last Saturday in October | This free event brings people together to enjoy the traditional sites and sounds of Dia de los Muertos including costumes, mariachi bands, Aztec and folklore dancers, original Latino art and ofrenda as to honor the lives of the departed.

Kiwanis Holiday Lights

| Black Friday – December 31, 2023 | Walk or drive through a winter wonderland for free during the Kiwanis Holiday Lights in Mankato’s Sibley Park. More than one million LED lights illuminate the landscape and an animated and choreographed display. Enjoy the Mary Dotson Synthetic Skating Rink, live reindeer and visits with Santa.

Christmas at the Hubbard House

| December | Join in on an annual tradition at the Historic R.D. Hubbard House. Explore Victorian holiday décor at the Historic R.D. Hubbard House. New this year, discover holiday traditions celebrating light in the dark days of December. Enjoy a special display, stories, and crafts celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, and Kwanzaa.

Bells on Belgrade

| December | The sights and sounds of the holiday season come alive on Belgrade Ave in North Mankato. Enjoy festive time with Santa and his elves, carolers from Minnesota State University, Mankato, the Mankato West Choir and other live music throughout the afternoon.

In City Center Mankato, you’ll discover that unique experience you’re looking for. Whether it’s our vibrant local dining, specialty shopping or exciting entertainment that brings you to Mankato, you’re sure to enjoy an amazing experience set amongst great public art and surrounded by fun recreation opportunities.

City Center Mankato is located in the downtown core of Mankato and North Mankato offering more than 0 hospitality venues. There is fabulous dining, shopping, and entertainment to be found in the heart of downtown Mankato and stunning art and historical attractions around nearly every corner. You’ll find infrastructure transformed into art with traffic boxes, flood and retaining walls, and the Silo Art Mural spanning across 135-feett of the operating Ardent Mills Silos at one of the gateways to the City Center. Art can be found for enjoyment and purchase throughout our downtown, including at traditional galleries, in coffee shops, and on our sidewalks. With all these fantastic amenities, it’s no wonder Thrillest ranked the community one of its Top 14 Coolest Urban Spaces in America. All of this awaits you in City Center Mankato. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Festival and Annual Events in the City Center

Annual festivities draw people to City Center Mankato again and again for food, music, art, and family fun.

The Business on Belgrade association has transformed the main street of Lower North Mankato into a high-energy festival zone. May brings Bookin' on

Belgrade, a 5K Family Fun Run. July, Blues on Belgrade brings a day of great tunes. Bier on Belgrade (October) is Greater Mankato’s Oktoberfest celebration, while the kids get their day at Bells on Belgrade (December).

Live music is always a draw. Mankato's July 4th Red, Hot, Boom in Riverfront Park features music by Radio Mankato and, of course, fireworks. RibFest at Vetter Stone Amphitheatre (August) is not just about amazing ribs it’s also four days of top national touring acts! Minnesota bands perform in the community favorite Songs on the Lawn (June) and Alive After Five

(August) outdoor concert series in Civic Center Plaza. The Old Town Art Fair (September) also features lots of local music, along with unique and compelling art in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere.

Holidays bring special celebrations. The shops in Old Town are becoming the go-to place with special events and promotions during several holidays. Old Town Day of the Dead is the newest event just before Halloween. Both the Betsy-Tacy houses and the R.D. Hubbard House offer views of Christmas past during December events. The Annual Kiwanis Holiday Lights display in Sibley Park runs from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve and is ranked as one of Minnesota’s top holiday lights experiences. Complimenting the glow of Kiwanis Holiday Lights is the new Let It Glow, Kato! Window Display Contest for businesses in the City Center. The public gets to participate in the fun by voting for their favorite window display.