Winter Events and Festivities in Mankato
You can pack a lot of fun this winter right in the heart of Southern Minnesota. Come to Mankato to experience winter events, festivities, and holiday fun!
Keep checking back for more events being added!

Wired to the Heart
November 19

southern minnesota christmas festival Presents: jingle + Mingle
November 19
Tickets go on sale October 4th. Tickets are $20 and include appetizers and a glass of sparkling wine. (Must be 21).

Kato Local Holiday Experience
November 19 – 28

let it glow, Kato Window Display Contest
November 19 – December 26
Participating City Center businesses, from retail to hospitality to professional services and more have decorated their windows with festive holiday displays for all to enjoy. Be sure to head to the City Center to check out the displays and vote for your between November 19 and December 26. People’s Choice for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will receive cash prizes.


Pumpkin Pi Run
November 20



Cranksgiving Mankato
November 20



inaugural mankato turkey trot
November 25
This a family friendly event that we are inviting all members and non-members to participate! We also ask that everyone brings a non-perishable food item to donate to the Echo Food Shelf!



Kiwanis Holiday Lights
November 26 – December 31


Small Business Saturday in Old Town Mankato
November 27


santa’s sip and shop
November 27



Maverick Hockey
Women’s Schedule | Men’s Schedule
The Minnesota State University Mankato Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Hockey program brings fans from all around to the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato!


J Longs holiday party














River hills mall photos with santa
Capture magical moments with Santa this season for you and your family. Reservations are encouraged.


Scrooge the musical
December 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19



Bells on belgrade
December 4


Maverick holiday carnival
December 4



Christmas at the hubbard house
December 4 & 5


United way’s fire & ice
December 4


christmas craftacular
December 5


Exclusively diamonds dash 2021
December 5


Sundays with santa
December 5 & 12
Some things you can donate are:
– Shampoo
-Conditioner
-Toothbrush
-Toothpaste
-Body Wash
-Handsoap
-Feminine Products
-Basic Toiletry Items
https://www.cadamn.org/donate-goods


Clint Black Christmas
December 9


The Nutcracker
December 9, 10, 11, 12


Nicollet Bike Holiday Lights Ride
December 9
Join us for our annual Holiday Lights Bike Ride! We will leave the Nicollet Bike side parking lot at 6:30 pm and ride the city streets to Sibley Park to view the Kiwanis Holiday Lights display. After viewing the lights we will stop at LocAle Brewing Company for drinks and socializing. Helmets and lights are required. Please consider bringing a small cash donation for Kiwanis.


Free family concert series: winter wonders
December 11
Bring the kids to hear MSO’s “Winter Wonders” concert, the second in our Free Family Series! No tickets needed.




Holiday in Old Town
December 18
Take care of some last minute shopping then gather the family and come visit Santa and his reindeer at Mom & Pop’s. Visit a gingerbread house at Bellisimo, Enjoy Carolers, River Valley Makers and hot chocolate at Wooden Spoon and capture a fun family photo opportunity at Sonny + Dot..


Winter wonderland at storeit
December 18
Looking for a fun and FREE place for the kids to experience all of the magic of the holiday season? Look no further. Store It is hosting our first annual Winter Wonderland event featuring pictures with Santa, live reindeer, giant Christmas tree and more. The photo opportunities are endless. You won’t want to miss this fun filled day!


tween/Teen ice skating
December 29
Join us for a fun time ice skating at All Seasons Arena during your holiday break. Admission and rental skates included! Registration required. Open to ages 9-17. Registration opens Monday, November 22nd at 10:00am.


tween/Teen ice skating
December 31
Come join us for a family friendly event to ring in 2022 as Davori Productions presents a Mankato Playhouse Past, Present, and Future Cabaret show, dancing with Neon – LIVE and a midnight toast.
Add dinner to your evening at The Blue Boat with a special menu and entertainment by The Amy Manette Band


Craft Beer Expo
January 8
The expo will showcase the offerings of craft breweries here in Minnesota, as well as all over the United States. Attendees to the expo will have the opportunity to sample beers from over 40 different craft breweries in a commemorative sampling glass. In addition to this, they can enjoy educational seminars throughout the day covering subjects such as Food Pairing, Homebrewing, and the History of Brewing in Minnesota. With brewery and distributor representatives on hand to answer questions, attendees will be able to have an enjoyable and educational experience learning about beer, its components and flavors.


Hockey Day Minnesota
January 16-23
Hockey Day Minnesota originated in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild to celebrate the game that has made Minnesota the State of Hockey. It is produced in partnership with Bally Sports North, Minnesota Hockey and the respective local community that serves as host each year. See Schedule | Purchase Tickets




Winter charm on the farm
January 22
Celebrate the winter season at Farmamerica!
Bundle up and join us to experience farm fun for everyone during this limited winter series.



Anthony ford pond hockey
January 29-30
The expo will showcase the offerings of craft breweries here in Minnesota, as well as all over the United States. Attendees to the expo will have the opportunity to sample beers from over 40 different craft breweries in a commemorative sampling glass. In addition to this, they can enjoy educational seminars throughout the day covering subjects such as Food Pairing, Homebrewing, and the History of Brewing in Minnesota. With brewery and distributor representatives on hand to answer questions, attendees will be able to have an enjoyable and educational experience learning about beer, its components and flavors.




Winter charm on the farm
February 22
Celebrate the winter season at Farmamerica!
Bundle up and join us to experience farm fun for everyone during this limited winter series.


Holiday shopping with the DVBF
DVBF events are over for this year, but you can still support Minnesota authors this holiday season by shopping from the DVBF Author Directory. You will find authors with books of all genres for all ages on your shopping list. Thank you for supporting local authors and books!



Anthony ford pond hockey
January 29-30
The expo will showcase the offerings of craft breweries here in Minnesota, as well as all over the United States. Attendees to the expo will have the opportunity to sample beers from over 40 different craft breweries in a commemorative sampling glass. In addition to this, they can enjoy educational seminars throughout the day covering subjects such as Food Pairing, Homebrewing, and the History of Brewing in Minnesota. With brewery and distributor representatives on hand to answer questions, attendees will be able to have an enjoyable and educational experience learning about beer, its components and flavors.


Mankato Bridal Show
February 20
Minnesota. Each show brings over 50 talented wedding professionals together to help plan your upcoming wedding!


Old Town Indigenous Art Festival
February 3-5
Join the Old Town Mankato community as we host indigenous artists, food vendors, hand made good vendors, and amazing Indigenous Snow sculpture artists.


Mankato Playhouse – Who Murdered my Sweetheart
February 11 – 13
The story involves the fabled sweetheart paper cup company. Trouble is brewing as the next generation of owners want to take the company totally green. This means a shake up at the top and at the bottom so one thing is for certain: a murder will occur and the audience must solve the Whodunnit. Lots of fun and interactive entertainment for your Valentine


Til Death do us part Murder Mystery Night
February 12


Valentine’s Day Private Dinner and Room Deal!
February 14




Winter charm on the farm
February 22
Celebrate the winter season at Farmamerica!
Bundle up and join us to experience farm fun for everyone during this limited winter series.



let it glow, Kato Window Display Contest
November 25 – December 31
Participating City Center businesses, from retail to hospitality to professional services and more have decorated their windows with festive holiday displays for all to enjoy. Be sure to head to the City Center to check out the displays and vote for your favorite. People’s Choice for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will receive cash prizes.



Cranksgiving Mankato
November 12


Exclusively diamonds holiday party
November 17
-Cocktails
-Hors d’oeuvres
-Giveaways
DESIGNER SHOWCASE FEATURING ROBERTO COIN


Friendsgiving Dinner
November 17
Grab your friends and enjoy a handcrafted meal featuring food paired with Chankaska wines, spirits, and kremes.
We invite you to join us for our Friendsgiving Dinner in the Barrel Room! Chankaska and S&B BBQ will be putting their creative spin on a tantalizing Thanksgiving meal. Each course will be perfectly paired with Chankaska Wines and hosted by our Winemaker, John Taylor.


fall vendor and craft fair
November 19


holiday decoration inspiration
November 20


Holiday open house
November 17-20


10th Year Kiwanis Holiday Lights Opening Night Parade
November 25



2nd Annual mankato turkey trot
November 25
This a family friendly event that we are inviting all members and non-members to participate! We also ask that everyone brings a non-perishable food item to donate to the Echo Food Shelf!


Greater Mankato Support Local
All Year Long


Chankaska's Shop small Saturday
November 26


Shop Small Market
November 26
The WineCafe Bar is having their first ever Shop Small Market. Check out the eight area artists that will accelerate your holiday shopping in Old Town!


Shop Small at Bumbelou + Hazelkin & co
November 25- 27


Shop Small at Pond Road Market in Old Town
November 26


Shop Small at the Vintage Market
November 26


Small Business Saturday at Whimsy
November 26


GSR Fine Arts Festival
November 26 – 27



Kiwanis Holiday Lights
November 25 – December 31


Maverick holiday carnival
December 3



Bells on belgrade
December 3


Santa photos at pet expo
December 3


the winter holiday showcase
December 4



Christmas at the hubbard house
December 3 & 4


the nutcracker
December 10


Merry Market - River Hills Mall
December 10, 11


kato ballroom holiday party
December 16


breakfast with santa
December 17


mankato holiday princess ball
December 17


Holiday in Old Town
December 17


Mankato Craft Beer Expo
January 14
The expo will showcase the offerings of craft breweries here in Minnesota, as well as from across the United States. Attendees at the expo will have the opportunity to sample beers from over 40 different craft breweries in a commemorative sampling glass.
Winter charm on the farm
January 14 & February 25
There’s nothing like a fresh coat of snow to remember why winter can be so magical. Come to Farmamerica on Saturday January 14 or February 25 from 11am-3pm to explore all that winter has to offer. Family fun activities include snowshoeing (free rentals with admission), snow painting, scavenger hunts, and more.
cabaret at merely players
January 19-28
In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920’s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Musical numbers include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Two Ladies.”


Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic
January 28, 29
In the State of Hockey, taking it outdoors and playing on a frozen lake is the ultimate grass roots experience that needs to be included in your hockey schedule this year. The Anthony Ford Pond Hockey Classic is an annual tradition that will create memories of a lifetime.
Once upon a mattress at Bethany lutheran college
February 3-11
Music by Mary Rodgers. Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. Lyrics by Marshall Barer. Directed by Ann Fredrickson. Music Direction by Dennis Marzolf.
February 3, 4, 10, 11 at 7:30 pm February 5 at 2:00 pm
Assassins at Mankato Playhouse
February 9-26
“In this darkly humorous musical revue, Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and John Weidman (book) depict nine misfit men and women who set out to assassinate American Presidents. Though only some were successful, all left their mark on American history. While every nation has its assassins and would-be assassins, only in America, the authors suggest, do disturbed and disturbing individuals act not because they hope to influence national politics, but because they are wrapped up in a malignant sense of entitlement. Feeling betrayed by the failed promise of American democracy and the American Dream, they strike out at the symbol for America: the American President. Assassins spans several musical styles and many decades in a dizzying series of musical and theatrical inventions that culminate in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.”
Rockstar Rail Jam
February 11
This snowboarding and skiing competition will take place at Mount Kato on February 11th. The competition will begin at noon. For more event and registration information visit Mount Kato’s website.
Marisol at Minnesota State University mankato
February 16-26
Brooklyn is a war zone, coffee is extinct, the moon has disappeared, and angels are trading in their wings for machine guns. As a celestial battle brews in heaven, the rebellion spills over into New York City. Without the protection of her guardian angel, Marisol Perez begins a surreal journey through the chaos of a crumbling world to find her way home. Winner of the 1993 Obie Award, Marisol is a harrowing and timely dark fantasia.


Old Dominion No bad Vibes Tour
February 17
Old Dominion: No Bad Vibes Tour is happening on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm at The Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center


Holiday at Moulin Rouge House
November 12 – January 2023
Moulin Rouge House will be decorated for Christmas starting and is ready to serve you and your guests. Services include a reception with appetizers or a 4-course dinner and overnight accommodations for up to 8 guests with a 4-course breakfast.
At home at the zoo at minnesota state university mankato
March 1-4
The play begins with Homelife, Albee’s 2004 play, and offers a revealing look at Peter and Ann’s rocky marriage, their brutal attempts to communicate, and the loneliness within their shared life. The tension escalates in the next act, The Zoo Story, Albee’s 1959 play. A man named Jerry approaches Peter in Central Park and begins to tell tale after tale, probe deep into Peter’s life, and attempts to take the bench for himself.
The Nerd at Merely Players
March 10-19
Set in Terre Haute, Indiana in late 1979, The Nerd centers on the hilarious dilemma of a young architect who is visited by Rick Steadman, a fellow ex-GI whom he has never met but who saved has life after he was seriously wounded in Vietnam. Willum is delighted when Rick shows up unexpectedly at his apartment on the night of his thirty-fourth birthday party. However, Rick’s awkward manner and inappropriate behavior throw the occasion into shambles. It turns out that Rick is a stupid “nerd” who overstays his welcome with a vengeance.


Mankato Winter Market
November – March 2023
Visit the Winter Farmers’ Market on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month at Bomgaars Mankato from 9 am – noon. The market offers the community a wide variety of fresh, local products and strives to provide a space for people to gather on a regular basis in order to share good food, music, laughter and friends.



Maverick Hockey
Women’s Schedule | Men’s Schedule
The Minnesota State University Mankato Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Hockey program brings fans from all around to the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in downtown Mankato!


Deep Valley Book Festival - Cabin Fever
March 5
Book lovers of all ages will find dozens of authors and books, programs and panels, book giveaways and autographed books, and more. FREE virtual event, but you must REGISTER!