Events in Mankato, MN

Enjoy a three-round format at this weekly Riftbound Nexus gathering. Entry is $10, with a booster pack awarded for each match win and a weekly Nexus Promo Pack included.

Take part in a free, family-friendly meet-up that welcomes walkers, runners, and stroller pushers at any pace. Routes are planned at about three miles, and participants can choose a shorter or longer distance. Formerly known as a group run, the focus is on encouraging an active lifestyle in a relaxed, social setting that includes people of all abilities, even those who do not consider themselves runners. Leashed dogs are welcome. Complimentary snacks and coffee are provided, with hot chocolate and tea available when the weather is cold. This gathering happens every week in any weather, unless otherwise noted.

Browse books and handmade items, chat with authors and artists, and connect with fellow attendees in a welcoming setting. This event is part of Bethany Lutheran College's Fall Festival celebration and offers a relaxed space for readers and makers to share ideas, discover new favorites, and enjoy creative conversations.

This is a weekly Lorcana gathering featuring 1v1 Core Constructed play, where players face off head to head. The entry fee is $10 and participants receive two booster packs, plus weekly play kit promos and other goodies.

Enjoy a weekly Star Wars Unlimited organized play session with a three-round structure. Bring a constructed deck to challenge fellow players. Entry is $10. Every participant receives two booster packs for taking part, and weekly play kit items are distributed at each session.

This weekly Sorcery Contested Realms meetup offers complimentary learn-to-play instruction before participants are paired for games.

Jo Dee Messina brings her Bridges Tour to the Grand Hall at the Mayo Clinic Event Center for an evening of live country music. Known for a commanding voice, many chart-topping hits, and a lasting impact on the genre, she presents a standout concert experience.

This weekly Digimon Card Game event features three rounds of matches. A free learn-to-play session is available beforehand. Entry is $10, and each match win earns a booster pack.

An adults-only evening centers on a team competition to build bold, electrified sculptures that blend light, motion, and cutting-edge design, channeling themes of power, energy, and innovation. Throughout the night, attendees can recharge in immersive spaces like the Electric Lounge and Power Bar, where neon-colored cocktails, dramatic lighting, and visual effects heighten the charged atmosphere. Spectators play an essential role by cheering on teams, exploring interactive elements, and soaking up the excitement from start to finish. Whether creating, observing, or socializing, everyone stays immersed in the action. The experience feels like stepping into a dynamic, high-energy world where creativity and technology collide, sparking connection, celebration, and unforgettable moments.

The monthly advocacy meeting at Key City Bike focuses on making the Greater Mankato area safer and more welcoming for people who walk and bike. Conversation centers on elevating walking and bicycling as everyday transportation and on encouraging decision makers to consider active transportation more broadly.

A relaxed group bike ride sets out from the Nicollet Bike Shop side parking lot and rolls for about 10 miles through Mankato on a mix of bike lanes, signed routes, and paved trails. The pace and vibe are easygoing, and participants are encouraged to come as they are. Riders of every skill level and any type of bike are welcome. The outing wraps up at LocAle Brewery for drinks and friendly conversation.

The 2nd Annual Second Chance Prom returns with the whimsy dialed all the way up. Building on an unforgettable first year, this celebration leans into bigger, stranger, and more enchanting vibes. The theme is Down the Rabbit Hole, calling for Wonderland glamour and enchanted chaos, where forest-creature finery, vintage prom flair, and tea party touches are right at home. Think sparkles, velvet, clocks, mushrooms, and crowns, with over-the-top fabulousness encouraged. Friendly competition adds extra sparkle with awards for Best Dressed in classic prom style, Best Theme-Inspired Look, and a Crowd Favorite. Music comes courtesy of Good Vibrations DJ Service, complete with a photo booth, and the festivities unfold in the stylish atmosphere of Sky One Eleven. Expect a Prom Royalty fundraising competition, adoptable pet meet and greets, a silent auction, raffle prizes, dancing, community, drinks, and hors d’oeuvres. At its heart, this is a benefit for Mending Spirits Animal Rescue. Proceeds help cover veterinary care, emergency treatment, food and supplies, transportation, foster support, and the new beginnings animals deserve. Every ticket, raffle entry, and auction bid fuels lifesaving work throughout the year. This is not a typical high school dance. It is a redemption prom that celebrates the wonderfully weird, where sequins and even a pair of antlers fit right in, and where looks ranging from Wonderland royalty and spooky cottagecore nobility to glitter goblin finery or classic prom elegance are welcomed.

At the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Grand Hall, this fall bridal showcase brings together more than 50 wedding professionals to support wedding planning. Presented as Southern Minnesota's largest wedding show, it features free admission for all, live music and Trend Zones, along with big prizes and additional attractions.

Share your birth journey in a welcoming circle at Aurora Chiropractic. The Deep Valley Birth Collective welcomes every kind of story, including unmedicated home births, cesarean experiences, and adoption. Nonmobile infants may attend in arms or carriers, while the gathering is otherwise for adults. Light refreshments will be available.

An opening reception introduces three exhibitions across the Fireside, Rotunda, and Hope Cook galleries. Re-Purpose in the Fireside Gallery gathers work by Holly Dodge, Todd M. Huber, and Nicholas Smith, also known as I Cut People. Dodge is a poet and visual artist who works across media with a recent emphasis on collage. Huber’s wide-ranging practice spans music, curation, sound and visual art, and experimental text, shaped by community-focused projects and a drive to test the limits of medium and message. Smith challenges institutional narratives through sound and image, assembling sample-based pieces from television sources and creating painstaking hand-cut magazine collages that can fill entire canvases over months or even years. His practice also extends to dioramas with integrated sound, mixed-media sketchbooks, video, and animated imagery. In the Rotunda Gallery, Remnants and Regrowth features Jason Ramey, whose work merges 3D laser scanning and CNC routing with traditional building materials and techniques. His process blends two and three dimensional digital methods with close attention to surface, creating a dialogue between technology and craft. The Hope Cook Gallery presents Somewhere between Four by Four by Steve Wilson. Working in painting, drawing, photo-collage, photography, and video, Wilson examines how mediated experience permeates daily life, the meeting of the familiar and the strange, and the shifting contours of the human body. A core thread of his studio practice is the one line pen drawing, executed as a single continuous stroke to tell spare narratives of struggle and motion. His training includes a BA in art education along with MA and MFA degrees in painting and drawing.

Ben Scruggs brings live music to WOW!Zone, creating an easygoing setting for music lovers. Order a drink, get comfortable, and enjoy the performance while you play, grab a bite, and spend time with friends.

A low cost microchipping clinic from Mending Spirits takes place at Pet Expo Mankato, providing permanent identification for pets. Each microchip includes lifetime coverage with no annual fees. The procedure is simple and can significantly increase the chances of reuniting lost pets with their families. The cost is $25 per pet, and all proceeds benefit Mending Spirits Animal Rescue. No appointment is required, offering an easy way to protect pets while supporting a good cause.

Caring for an aging parent, partner, or friend can bring joy along with stress and isolation. This support group provides a supportive setting for family members, friends, and other caregivers of older adults to connect with peers, share experiences, find encouragement, and learn practical caregiving strategies. People new to caregiving and those with years of experience are welcome to take part in open conversation and community. Participation is free and open to the public, and no RSVP is required. For more information, contact Lisa at 507-344-6771 or Lisa.Sandmann@Fairview.org.

This monthly bake sale at Pet Expo supports the Blue Earth County Humane Society. It is held each month and offers a simple way to contribute by picking up baked goods. Enjoy a friendly community occasion that helps this local humane society.

Sunday jams take place at Oleander Saloon.

At Courtyard by Marriott Mankato, this holistic healing and wellness fair brings together more than 40 vendors and practitioners sharing services and natural products, including herbal remedies, locally sourced raw honey, crystals, essential oils, and other organic goods. Offerings range from psychic readings and wellness coaching to energy work, with more to explore throughout the event. The program also includes a gallery-style group mediumship session along with complimentary talks. Admission is $5, and workshops are free.

This live community event centers on local endurance athlete Vusa Bentley’s attempt to break the Women’s Planking World Record. Bentley, a Mankato resident and mother of two, is traveling to all 50 states to complete a one hour forearm plank for different causes through her United We Plank platform, and she has already completed one hour planks in more than a dozen states. For her upcoming states, she is raising funds for Greater Mankato Area United Way, with proceeds going directly to the organization’s work. Based in Mankato, Minnesota, Greater Mankato Area United Way supports 75 programs and initiatives that serve more than 65,000 people each year, focusing on basic needs, health, and education for people of all ages across Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet, and Waseca counties. Sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting events@mankatounitedway.org. Sponsors include End of Life Doula Collaborative, Divine Echoes Esoterica, Maverick Fitness, True Real Estate, Barnett Auto Group, Williams Diamond Center, Lake Shores and More Realty, Rooms & Rest, Kia of Mankato, Midas, Body Concepts, DexaFit Mankato, All Star Nutrition, and Menari Body Works.

Live music at WOW!Zone features Crista Bohlmann. She performs a mix of familiar songs with opportunities to sing along, creating a relaxed atmosphere for time with friends and a laid-back outing.

The Day of the Dead celebration is back in Mankato this year, marking the festival’s return to the city.

An opening reception introduces three new exhibitions presented across the Fireside Gallery, Rotunda Gallery, and Hope Cook Gallery. Fragments Arranged features work by Midwestern fiber artist Mia Eckes, whose practice reflects a love of vibrant color and the contemplative. With a BFA in Fiber Art and Ceramics from Minnesota State University–Mankato and an MA in Human Development from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota–Minneapolis, she blends studies in arts and cultural management and positive psychology to explore creativity’s role in early education and in a meaningful life. Her pieces draw on prayerful reflection, transformation, playfulness, relationships, and hope, and her work has been shown in Minnesota and New York. She also founded Cloudwalker Studio to offer creative life coaching. Out of the Blue Earth: The Presence of Memory highlights paintings by Trinidad-born artist and educator Kenwyn Murray. Balancing his studio practice with engagement in Carnival arts, he teaches at the University of the West Indies. His work pursues a Caribbean aesthetic shaped by fluid movement, layered histories, hybridity, and spirituality, aiming to represent a space that is varied, rich, and alive with color and culture. Sustenance in the Hope Cook Gallery presents installations and drawings by Shelley Caldwell. Guided by line and color, she focuses on plants and everyday subjects to elevate the ordinary and illuminate how common experiences connect people. Working with media such as Micron pen, India ink, and cut paper, she creates crisp, graphic forms. Her installations extend drawings into space to offer an immersive encounter, often incorporating familiar, repurposed materials to keep the work approachable, resourceful, and rooted in daily life.

Parents and caregivers are invited to a relaxed morning meetup at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, hosted by Pastor Austin and Next Gen Early Childhood Lead Ashley. Connect with other families and chat while little ones explore interactive exhibits and playful learning areas. Museum memberships may be used for entry, and standard admission applies. RSVP is requested so the hosts can prepare a warm welcome.

High Strung brings a high-energy set packed with rock and roll favorites. The performance features live renditions of well-loved hits and a lively atmosphere from start to finish.

Celebrate global traditions at the Mankato Area International Festival, a lively showcase of cultures from around the world. Enjoy live performances, colorful traditional clothing, and music that spans many regions. Taste international cuisine with dishes available for purchase. Explore interactive exhibits and hands-on activities designed for all ages. This family friendly event offers free admission and free parking. Spark your curiosity and leave inspired by the diversity on display.

The Women’s Giving Circle unites women to expand the impact of their philanthropy by giving together. Through meaningful connections and collaborative decision making, participants award grants to programs and projects that serve Greater Mankato. The emphasis is on shared generosity that strengthens local initiatives and creates community-wide benefits.

Live music by Crista Bohlmann features a blend of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass. With more than 20 years of experience, she brings powerful vocals and an easygoing style while playing guitar, fiddle, and ukulele.

Hosted at Prairie Winds Middle School, this craft and vendor show centers on walk-in creative experiences. Visitors can choose from options such as soaps, candles, pottery, jewelry, and more. Guests who book a future class during the event unlock extra savings, and each attendee receives a scratch-off with a surprise offer. It is a warm setting to get creative, make memories, and leave with something you love. Vendors interested in participating may inquire through Messenger or by email.

Rain Kings brings organic roots rock and Americana with the relaxed feel of a front porch jam. Based in the Mankato area and formerly known as Ill-Gotten Booty, the band keeps things easy and lively with plenty of picking and smiles.

Experience live music with Tyler Herwig, an award-winning artist from St. Paul, Minnesota. His dynamic sets span multiple genres and balance high energy with emotionally rich interpretations. With more than twenty years of dedication to performing, he brings a captivating presence to the stage. Enjoy great music alongside good food for a memorable evening out.