Dotson Ice Rink

The Mary Dotson Skating Rink

Celebrating 

The Mary Dotson Skating Rink is a featured attraction each year during the Kiwanis Holiday Lights at Sibley Park. The family of Mary Dotson and the Mankato Area Foundation chose to dedicate this rink to Mary, better known as Grandma Dotson, as a way to honor the more than 50 years she maintained a neighborhood rink across from her family’s home in West Mankato. Mary not only flooded the rink and made sure the ice was kept in pristine condition, she was known to welcome the local children into her home for hot chocolate when the weather got chilly.

The Mary Dotson Skating Rink in Sibley Park is made of a synthetic material allowing the rink to be operational during the winter months regardless of the weather and varying temperatures. Opened in 2013, thousands of skaters have enjoyed the opportunity to skate under the magical Kiwanis Holiday Lights. It has even been the site of numerous engagements–Mary would have enjoyed that too!