garden, a deer park, roaming peacocks and a museum
about the brewery’s history.
German restaurants, a sausage shop and German
festivals add to the flavor of this town. There are several
specialty shops; some carry cuckoo clocks, nutcrackers and
other German imports. There are many beautiful homes
dating to the 1800s, including the 1887 Queen Anne style
home of Gov. John Lind, which is open for tours.
A short drive northwest of town is the Harkin Store,
an 1870s general store with much of the original stock
still on the shelves, now a state historic site. In the
countryside to the east of New Ulm, off Hwy. 68, is
Morgan Creek Vineyards.
Mankato is the largest city on the Minnesota River
outside of the Twin Cities area. At nearby Minneopa State
Park, there’s a scenic double waterfall and the Seppman
Mill, a remnant from the town’s pioneer days. The Blue
Earth County Heritage Center and 1871 Hubbard House
tell more about the area’s early days. Mankato is also
home to the neighborhood that inspired the Betsy-Tacy
children’s books by Maud Hart Lovelace. There are
several antique and specialty shops. Every August, visitors
can watch the Minnesota Vikings football training camp.
In the winter, Mt. Kato’s slopes lure downhill skiers, and
mountain bikers enjoy its trails the rest of the year.
Mankato is at the western end of the 39-mile Sakatah
Singing Hills Bike Trail, with more trails in town.
The Minnesota River turns north at Mankato,
heading up to St. Peter. The Treaty Site History Center
here focuses on the Indians and fur traders who used this
river crossing years ago, and the historic treaty ceding
Indian lands for pioneer settlement. The 1871 Gothic-
style Cox House is open for tours and a downtown drug
store features an old-fashioned soda fountain and
apothecary exhibits.
Festivals & Events Sampler
February
Grumpy Old Men Festival,
Wabasha
Eagle Spot Weekends,
Red Wing
March
International Festival of Owls,
Houston
April
Bluff Country Studio Tour,
Lanesboro Area
May
Stand-Still Parade, Whalan
June
Minnesota Inventors
Congress, Redwood Falls
Rochesterfest, Rochester
Windsurfing Regatta &
Unvarnished Music Festival,
Worthington
Waterski Days, Lake City
Bavarian Blast, New Ulm
June-July
Great River Shakespeare
Festival, Winona
July
Bavarian Blast, New Ulm
Wilder Pageant, Walnut Grove
Kolacky Days Czech Festival
August
Civil War Days, Pipestone
Butterfield Steam & Gas
Engine Show, near Windom
September
Defeat of Jesse James Days,
Northfield
Mahkato Traditional
Powwow, Mankato
King Turkey Day, Worthington
Rock Bend Folk Festival,
St. Peter
Big Island Rendezvous,
Albert Lea
October
Oktoberfest, New Ulm
Big Island Rendezvous,
Albert Lea
Fall Festival of Arts, Red Wing
For more events info see:
exploreminnesota.com
