NEW ULM — German Park and downtown New Ulm will be crowded with Pokémon hunters on Sunday. The local Pokémon Club as well as the clubs from Mankato and St. Peters are coming to town.

The gathering will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday in German Park. The event will include fun and games, a costume contest and a special prize drawings. The New Ulm Pokémon community will also be raising money for Forever Home Sancutary and Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society.

Each month, a special Pokémon Go community day is held world wide and individulal groups or clubs can choose how to celebrate. In New Ulm, the Pokémon Go community gathers in German Park and collaborate with local businesses to raise funds for a worthy charity. In July and August the New Ulm Pokémon players raised money for Relay for Life and NUMAS Haus.

This month’s community day is shaping up to be the biggest in hosted in New Ulm because players from Mankato and St. Peters are joining.

Organizer Doug Jones said typically both Mankato and St. Peters Pokémon Go players spend community days at Sibley Park in Mankato, as that is the best place to Pokémon hunt in Nicollet County and Blue Earth County. However, this Sunday players will be block from using Sibley Park due to the Mankato Marathon and the Holiday Lights setup. The New Ulm Pokémon Go players extended an invite to the Mankato and St. Peters players to come to German Park and they have accepted. All the top Pokémon Go players in Nicollet and Blue Earth County are expected to attend.

Since Pokémon Go uses real-world landmarks in the game, New Ulm has become one the best cities in which to play the game. Every point of interest or historical marker in New Ulm serves as a PokeStop or Pokémon Gym in the game.

There are over a dozen PokeStops and three Pokémon Gyms on Minnesota Street between 3rd North and 1st South Streets.

German Park alone has six PokeStops and the Angel Fountain serves as one of New Ulm’s most popular Pokémon Gyms.

In the past, the New Ulm Pokémon events were sponsored by single businesses, but this time over 10 businesses are providing supplies and prizes for players. The list of sponsers continues to grow but as of deadline Lamplighter, Subway, Nuvera, Citizen’s Bank, Sleepy Eye Golf Course, Sota Design, Hy-Vee, Jensen Motors and Tunnel Car Wash.

The special in-game event starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m., but the player gather starts earlier at noon with special prize drawing and costume contest starting at 4 p.m. and going until 5 p.m.