Mankato residents and visitors should plan for some temporary road closures this Thursday, December 26 as the city hosts the Makatoh Reconciliation and Healing Horse Ride and Dakota Exiles Ride. According to a recent social media post from City of Mankato, Minnesota Government, a stretch of north Riverfront Drive will be closed to traffic to accommodate the event which kicks off at 9 a.m.
The closure will affect the section of north Riverfront Drive between E. Main and Plum Streets, the riders will begin their journey at Land of Memories Park, located at 300 Amos Owen Lane, before progressing onto Highway 169. There, the participants will traverse the southbound lanes, to enter the northbound lane of Riverfront Drive and eventually reach their destination at Reconciliation Park. Once at the park, located at 100 N. Riverfront Drive, both the northbound and southbound lanes of Riverfront Drive, will remain out of service until the ceremony concludes.
The annual event holds deep significance for the local Dakota community, commemorating the exile of Dakota people after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The horseback ride serves as a living tribute to those who were forced to leave their ancestral homelands, fostering a spirit of reconciliation and healing. The ride also serves to educate and raise awareness about the history and continuing impact of these events on the Dakota people and their descendants today.
Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes during the ceremony and are asked to respect the significance of the day for the Dakota community. Local authorities are stressing the importance of planning ahead for any travel in the area on the event day. The City of Mankato has not provided a specific time for when the roads will reopen, but the closures are expected to last through the duration of the remembrance activities, and traffic conditions should return to normal following the end of the ceremony.
