SUMMER

Summer

BY CHRISTINE NESSLER

Summer, it’s a whole vibe in North Mankato.

“I can ride my bike all around my neighborhood with my friends!” says Cam, 8.

“There is always at least one night during Fun Days that all of my friends meet up at Wheeler Park, it’s so fun!” says Grace, 13.

“I like to hit the tennis courts in Forest Heights when I am home for the summer,” says Wyatt, 19.

“I love the North Mankato parks and trails in the summer. I can easily train for a 5K, take a walk with my husband, or inline skate with my teenage boys to get outside to enjoy the weather and the community!” says Wendy.

“Fallenstein Park and the Splash Pads have been wonderful additions to our community and someplace I can take my three young daughters,” says Kris.

Because of the city’s efforts, residents and visitors of North Mankato have a lot to look forward to this summer and really, every summer. From city parks and trails to live music to various sports tournaments, the City of North Mankato is set up for success with a staff that strives to make summer fun, welcoming and accessible for all, while also building a sense of community among residents. The city’s commitment was cemented when it recently created the Culture, Recreation, and Quality of Life Department.

Leading the charge is lifelong North Mankato resident Katie Heintz. She is taking her new role as director of the department to a whole new level.

“I just want to create events and a community that’s welcoming,” said Heintz who is now raising her own family in North Mankato with her husband, Max.

“I want to live in a community that has this stuff to offer. I want to bring my kids to the library. I want to take them to the beautiful parks. These are all things that only make the quality of life better here in North Mankato. You get out and you see your neighbors and you feel more engaged in your community when you are attending these events.”

You could say Heintz and her staff are the concierges of North Mankato. They are in the know about all city events and they personally invite community members to attend. Heintz even ensures community members she’ll be there too. According to Heintz, it’s encouraging for people to know they’ll see a friendly face at an event.

“We take on that role at the library. We want people to know that this is their space, these are their events,” Heintz said. “We let them know we want them to come and we’re looking forward to seeing them there.”

Just as the community has changed over the years, so has Heintz’ role. She’s been with the City of North Mankato for 12 years, starting as a part-time library employee, working her way up to the Director of the Library and now overseeing programming and acting as a community liaison for the City of North Mankato. In her new role, she works hard to create programming, events and amenities that will appeal to all people.

Shifting from library programming to community programming has been a natural transition.

“The library is more than a place to just come and check out books,” Heintz said. “It’s also like a community hub. It’s more than it has been in the past. It’s not quiet, it’s loud. We encourage all of that.”

Under Heintz’ guidance, the Taylor Library in North Mankato has been progressive with programming. The library offers activities, toys for children, mom groups and playdates, teen book clubs and various other events for all ages.

“We are going to continue on that path of always pushing the barriers of programming and trying new things,” Heintz said. “We are continuously learning how to help our people and help them learn.”

Heintz’s passion for the library began at a young age. She grew up in North Mankato and recalls her own experiences with summer programming at the library.

“When I grew up in North Mankato, Summer Reading was huge,” Heintz said. “My sister and I lived on Roe Crest, and we would bike down to the Municipal Building and get our summer reading tokens and prizes. That played such a huge role for me in loving the library.”

The Summer Reading program kicks off on June 10th and offers four to eight programs a week for all ages. This is 

 just one of many summer activities that are planned through the Recreation and Culture Department.

Events are also welcoming in a sense that the City of North Mankato strives to make them accessible to all. Most events planned by the Recreation and Culture Department are free to the public. They are also designed to appeal to all ages and anyone living in and around North Mankato.

“We try to be really inclusive with everybody,” Heintz said. “We try to mix the locations of events too so that they’re walkable. We are very cognizant of where we put stuff because we want to make it very accessible for people.”

The programming for the city of North Mankato has grown over the years, much of which started in the library, like Music in the Park. The little concert series was first held at Storytime Park on Nicollet Avenue. With the pandemic, they decided to move the event to Wheeler Park to allow participants to spread out. Now the event has grown to include live music and food trucks each Thursday night in July and September, drawing close to 500 people each night.

“It’s so interactive and people love it,” Heintz said. “People that have been residents for years love the music as much as the new moms and families. Giving them opportunities to feel a part of the community again.”

Another library initiative was combining Tuesday Toddler Time at the Spring Lake Park Pool with the Library’s Story

Time to expose people to both of the North Mankato amenities.

“We are always looking to cross over and share our events,” Heintz said. “The people that might not come to Story Time at the library are there and they see it and then they start coming to the library in the fall.”

According to Heintz, it's also an effort to simplify life for busy families. If the same people that enjoy Toddler Time at the pool would enjoy Story Time at the library, why not combine the events and save the family a trip?

Spring Lake Park Pool isn’t just for the kids. For the last few years, the City of North Mankato has offered an adult night at the pool with DJs and drinks and a chance for the adults to enjoy the fun amenities of the pool including the slides, ziplines and rock-climbing wall. The event is offered four times over the months of June and July.

Another popular event with live music and great food is Blues on Belgrade. The City of North Mankato partners with the economic development group, Business on Belgrade, to promote various events throughout the year. Blues on Belgrade draws thousands of people to the 200 block of Belgrade Avenue in Lower North Mankato.

“It’s a well-oiled machine,” Heintz said. “We work with our business partners on the 200 block. It’s a big effort with local businesspeople.”

For anyone looking for a more sporty experience, the public is invited to participate in the softball and soccer tournaments hosted at Caswell Park and Caswell North Soccer. According to Heintz there are people who travel from all over the United States and even out of the country for these tournaments. The biggest event is the Minnesota State High School Softball League Tournament on June 7th and 8th. Hundreds of teams participate, bringing in thousands of people. Soccerfest is another fun tournament that takes place at Caswell North Soccer.

“There is always a lot of positive energy at those games,” Heintz said. “Even if you just come for an hour over lunch, eat some food from the food trucks and watch just one game, it’s great!”

While Heintz plays on her strengths of engagement and communication, she relies on her team at the City of North Mankato to make sure all the details of the many summer

events come together successfully. According to Heintz, the departments of the City of North Mankato are very cohesive from library to parks to streets to administration, making them a ‘get it done’ kind of team.

Always looking to the future, the City of North Mankato has plans to keep pushing forward by adding new and maintaining current facilities and amenities, trying new community events, and trying new programming at the library.

Get out this summer and enjoy all North Mankato has to offer. Say hello to neighbors and friends and be a part of what makes our community so great. While you’re there, keep an eye out for the North Mankato concierge service of Katie Heintz and her team. They are the ones welcoming guests with big smiles and encouraging waves. 

Events

• North Mankato Farmers Market - Monday afternoons from June 5 to October 16

• Summer Reading Program - Kicks off Saturday, June 10

• Music in the Park - Thursdays in July & September

• Bookin’ on Belgrade - Saturday, May 20

• Blues on Belgrade - Saturday, July 29

• Art Splash - Saturday, June 17

• Fun Days - Thursday, July 6 - Sunday, July 9

• Let’s Pollinate - Saturday, June 24

• Summer Tournaments at Caswell Park - April through September

• Minnesota State High School Softball League - Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9

• Summer Tournaments at Caswell North Soccer Complex - April through October

• Movies in the Park - June 16 and August 11

Amenities

• Parks

• Trails

• Splash Pad

• Spring Lake Park Swim Facility