On day three of the NFL draft, Oneida smoke dancers performed, kids biked around Lambeau and cheese carvers went to work. Wisconsin-based vendors sold everything from cheese to kolache donuts to themed T-shirts.
It’s a big finale for the first-ever Wisconsin draft. Many are hoping it’ll come back, but for now, the state is giving visitors everything it has.
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Between the farmer’s market downtown and the market at Lambeau, local businesses have had a lot to prepare for. Workers at Hartman’s Bakery, located in Manitowoc, started baking three days ago, and prepared 500 cookies and 200 kolaches — a filled Polish pastry.
“Hartman’s has been around for so long,” owner Luisa Rehraur said. “Older people are bringing their kids here for the first time and keeping their family traditions going.”
The Hartman’s line was nonstop from the minute the grounds opened at 9 a.m., and some people came back for seconds, workers said.
Downtown Green Bay business LoCo WisCo sold Wisconsin-themed stickers, apparel and other merchandise at the Lambeau market, and Maple Dude sold maple everything — ice cream, cotton candy, mustard, you name it. Both said they were glad they could make it out, and customers kept them busy by buying souvenirs.
Tim Sternitzky, right, is the owner of Maple Dude, pictured on April 26, 2025.
Maybe the most Wisconsin stand of all was Two Guernsey Girls Creamery, selling milk, cheese and cheese curds. They prepped 10,000 bags of curds to sell over the three days of the draft. By 1 p.m., they’d made a major dent in that.
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“A lot of people don’t know what cheese curds are, right. They always think of deep-fried everything, like mozzarella sticks,” owner Breanna Fritsch said. “They think those are cheese curds, but no. These are actual cheese curds.”
Locals were out and about on day three of the draft — the sunniest by far. Several talked about how the draft is changing people’s perception of the city. Green Bay is smaller than most NFL cities, so it can get a bad rap, Alex Westphal, a Green Bay native, said.
“There’s so much to do here, and I think it gets so hated on for nothing ever happening,” Westphal said. “That’s why I’m super excited about this.”
Meanwhile, fans from both Wisconsin and beyond talked about how nice the locals are.
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“The people that have come in have said how great, how wonderful people are,” Caryn Kihl, from Kaukauna, said. “It’s a reflection on our area in general. Just so welcoming and making them feel at home.”
Cheese carver Nancy Baker created a 2025 NFL Draft logo out of cheddar at the NFL Draft Experience on April 26 in Green Bay
For many Packers fans, this draft is the time for Green Bay to shine. No one knows when or if the city will be picked to host an NFL event again, so fans are making the most of their time in the spotlight.
Madeline Mleziva has been a Packers fan her whole life. On the last day of the draft, she got to kick a field goal at Lambeau — a once-in-a-lifetime experience, she said. But having it happen here means more to her.
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“It’s really special to have the draft here, to get it to come to us is really special, but to have so many people get to experience Green Bay is even more exciting,” Mleziva said. “It’s a really special place, with a really incredible community.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: ‘Wisconsin day’ spotlights state’s culture on final day of NFL draft