Good morning, Mankato.

The annual Rake the Town event will soon help elderly residents in Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties get their yards raked.

Organizers are recruiting volunteers to use provided equipment — and request donations to cover costs.

Volunteers will begin setting up nearly 2 million lights and 100 displays for the 13th annual Kiwanis Holiday Lights this weekend—work that will last five weeks while the park stays open with ladders and lifts in place.

Organizer Scott Wojcik said the effort also supports 17 food shelves receiving deliveries.

Patience N Bubbles Childcare opened in July at 1720 Bassett Drive and now cares for 22 children, including 4-year-old Severyn Rollings with autism, using a trained staff that supports kids with and without disabilities.

Owner Mary Ssegirinya said the center will soon add school-age care and parent support groups — it is hosting a free, family-friendly Halloween event Saturday from 4—6 p.m.

On Saturday, the fifth annual Old Town Mankato Day of the Dead celebration will fill Riverfront Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.—organizers say community efforts have secured the festival's future despite earlier fundraising concerns.

The Minnesota River Congress will host a free event on Thursday at 7 p.m. at The Grand Center for Arts and Culture in New Ulm that highlights the Minnesota River’s past, present — and future with a film screening, book talk, and discussion on water storage initiatives.

Speakers Rita Weaver and Scott Sparlin will lead a Q&A session about plans for a Minnesota River Coordinating Commission.

A statewide rail study by MnDOT found that Mankato is a heavy user of freight rail and shows potential for future passenger service—local industries such as soybean processing boost its ranking, with the route placed behind only Duluth and Rochester and the plan set to be adopted by the end of the year.

North Mankato residents are asked to sign up for a new communication service that sends emergency and community updates.

The city will soon switch from Nixle to TextMyGov — residents can text keyword NMANKATO to 91896 to enroll.

The New Ulm boys soccer team made history by earning its first ticket to the Class AA State Tournament after coming back to beat Worthington in the Section 2AA Final — head coach Timothy Plocher led the team that averaged nearly 3.5 goals per game.

MN Child Welfare Training Academy: MDT Collaboration in Child Protection

— Time Range — Centennial Student Union — Free entry — Explore effective multidisciplinary team strategies in child protection through in-depth training sessions.

Holiday Craft and Gift Show

3-7 p.m. — Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center — $3 Admission — Enjoy three days of shopping, festive cheer, and handcrafted treasures from local vendors.

Styx and Loverboy Concert

1:30-9:00 p.m. — Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center — Tickets from $47.50 — Rock legends Styx and Loverboy promise a night of classic hits and electrifying performances.

MSU Moorhead Dragons vs. Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks Football

12:00 – 1:30 PM — Blakeslee Stadium — Tickets from $33 — Cheer on the Dragons and Mavericks in an exciting collegiate football matchup.