So much for that small town vibe in Green Bay.
In case you missed it, the 2025 NFL Draft is taking place in Green Bay, Wisconsin this year – home of the Green Bay Packers. NFL fans are buckling up for three straight days of seemingly non-stop drafting. The draft is always a springtime tradition that effectively sets the reset button and pushes the National Football League into a fresh, new season. If you really think about it, it’s an event that’s specifically for the fans.
There’s also so much speculation and hope during this time, you know? Who is going where? Could this one player save a franchise from toiling in mediocrity? How many QBs will go in the first round? Did (insert team name here) just add the missing piece they needed to make a Super Bowl run? It’s truly a wonderful moment on the sports calendar, and it almost always provides some viral moments. This year, it’s providing just that before the draft even officially gets started.
Like I’ve already touched on, the NFL’s biggest day outside of the Super Bowl is taking place this year in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Honestly, I love that a cold weather (and small market) city like Green Bay is getting to shine in the spotlight this year. Personally, I’m a Minnesota Vikings fan, and I’ve been to Lambeau Field… I know I’m supposed to hate the Packers with all my heart, but I had a great time while I was in Green Bay a couple of years back.
Is there a lot to do in Green Bay other than going to a football game? Or attending the NFL Draft if it just so happens to be hosted there? No, there’s not (other than going to Fleet Farm). But that’s what makes Green Bay so special: the small town charm. When you are there, you’re literally driving through a neighborhood, you hang a right, and then next thing you know there’s an NFL stadium right in front of you. There’s really nothing else like it.
Having said that, there are a lot of things like Green Bay when it comes to paying for parking. Residents that live near the stadium have decided to capitalize on the opportunity of the NFL Draft coming to town, and they’re charging BIG CITY parking prices for those that are attending. One could even argue that they are exceeding most metropolitan parking prices.
Folks that are driving into Green Bay to attend the 2025 NFL Draft are driving past (or stopping and paying at) signs that say “Parking: $60.” And that’s on the low side of things. There are some homes giving up their driveway to draft attendees for the low, low price of $100 to $160 dollars a pop. I’d rather park 3 miles away and jog to Lambeau Field than pay $160 bucks to park in a stranger’s driveway.
But at the same time, I’d probably do the same exact thing if I lived near the historic home of the Green Bay Packers. Gotta strike while the iron is hot, am I right? And the iron is not going to get any hotter than having the NFL Draft basically in your backyard. Though c’mon cheeseheads… $160 for a parking spot?
