Good morning, Mankato.

Today, a local gardener transforms a 24x18-ft yard by planting peonies, Asiatic lilies and daylilies while addressing weed control, and the Mankato Farmers’ Market, open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at the Best Buy parking lot, hosts nearly 50 vendors selling fresh produce and local goods.

Maker Fair Minnesota returns to the Nicollet County Fairgrounds in St. Peter on Saturday, Oct.

3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering 190 handcrafted vendor spaces + food trucks and family activities like goodie bags and a pumpkin hunt.

Easy Environmental Solutions, a local fertilizer maker, will ship its first EasyFEN machine to Kenya today as it tests its design that uses phosphorus, nitrogen, and plant waste to grow microbes capable of producing fertilizer for one million acres per year.

The Dam Store on South Front Street will open with late-night hours 10 p.m. — 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Owner Dave Hruska said he expects college students, overnight shift workers and homecoming crowds to visit and noted that nearby police help ensure safety.

The Mankato Symphony Orchestra will launch its 2026 to 2027 season under the theme Stories in Sound with a five-concert subscription series beginning Oct.

24 — featuring a Latin-themed concert with a world premiere, a chamber music series starting Nov. 1, and free family interactive programs in the community.

Mankato will host the Deep Valley Book Festival on Saturday, where Minnesota author Kate DiCamillo will deliver a keynote address at 1 p.m. The festival includes author panels, book signings, and other literary events at the Deep Valley Room.

Persistent rain delays soybean harvests in Nicollet County as local farmers wait for clearer conditions.

Mann Family Farm near Belgrade township plans to start harvesting by the end of the week if conditions improve, and Peters Family Farm near St. Peter has already harvested part of its corn crop.

At Minnesota State University's homecoming kickoff held Monday at the Centennial Student Union, senior Andrew Soudbash greeted students enjoying a live music performance by Frankie Torres; student voting for homecoming royalty runs until Thursday (6:30 p.m.) with a parade at 10:30 a.m. and a football game scheduled for Saturday.

Mankato City Council postponed the decision on a tax abatement for an indoor farm on Energy Drive until Oct.

13; the project by APX+Old Town Riverfront Properties and Verdánt Organics could add over 70 local jobs.

CHS Oilseed Processing, Inc. was fined $11,325 by the MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) after modifying an aboveground storage tank at its Mankato facility without prior notification on Feb.

12. The company has since submitted a permit update application.

Mankato's City Council approved the first residential addiction treatment center, Spirits at Rest, to begin construction this fall at 80 Power Drive despite neighborhood opposition.

The 21,000 sqft facility will offer 40 beds + create about 30 local jobs for recovery support.