From serving as host city of the 1939 NFL Draft and Championship game to its rich ties with the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee has long been a proud player in making sports and football history. Now, more than 80 years later, the Brew City is ready to celebrate the Draft’s return to Wisconsin as Sports Milwaukee hosts Milwaukee Tailgate Week Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook. For more information and tickets to Milwaukee Tailgate Week experiences, visit www.VisitMilwaukee.org/tailgate.
Set for Thursday-Saturday, April 24-26, Milwaukee Tailgate Week features a variety of gridiron activations for all ages steeped in Milwaukee’s iconic sports history, its attractions, brews, pubs, restaurants and venues. As the 2025 NFL Draft takes center stage in Green Bay, Sports Milwaukee and the Cream City are excited to help welcome the football world back to Wisconsin.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to offer up events that will excite locals, encourage visitors to stay even longer in market, and celebrate Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s sporting heritage and current teams,” says Visit Milwaukee’s Chief Marketing Officer Josh Albrecht. “Milwaukee is a world-class sports city and fans here and around the world have taken note. Sports are a major driver of tourism to Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and when they visit and we can’t wait to welcome those visitors to experience our sports scene as they make their way north to Green Bay this April.”
Designed to complement the NFL Draft schedule in Green Bay, Milwaukee Tailgate Week’s program highlights include:
- Thursday, April 24, Potawatomi Sportsbook: Milwaukee Tailgate Central – Kick off the 2025 NFL Draft at the Potawatomi Sportsbook, Milwaukee Tailgate Central, over bets, delicious food and beverages! Make yourself at home for the week with Potawatomi’s football-themed hotel packages, and more to be announced soon!
- Friday, April 25, Tailgate Talk Live Luncheon – Join Sports Milwaukee for an unforgettable experience at the Tailgate Talk Live Luncheon! Scheduled for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at South Second, Tailgate Talk Live will feature a dynamic conversation featuring gridiron greats with deep roots in the Milwaukee area. Featured guests (to be announced!) will share stories about their respective football journeys as attendees enjoy networking opportunities, delicious food, and a short post-lunch patio meet and greet.
- Saturday, April 26, Jordy Nelson’s Milwaukee Tailgate with Inside the Huddle Live! – Put a bow on the week’s football festivities with Sports Milwaukee and TEAM LAMMI at Jordy Nelson’s Milwaukee Tailgate with Inside the Huddle Live Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook. Held on the floor of UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, Milwaukee Tailgate Week’s cornerstone event features a live taping of the Green Bay Packers players insider show Inside the Huddle, hosted by Jordy Nelson and special guests. Program highlights also include player appearances, auction items, an audience Q&A, and a football-themed tailgate zone with all-ages games activated by the Milwaukee Wave, Journey House Packers Flag Football, and more! VIP tickets cost $75 (+ taxes/fees) and include player meet and greet opportunities, access to a hospitality area with complimentary food and beverages, and upfront table seats for the live taping of Inside the Huddle. General admission is $10 (+taxes/fees) and includes access to the floor tailgate zone and limited GA floor seats (first come, first served). The Arena will have concessions available for purchase and stadium seating will be open. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the live taping of Inside the Huddle is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“At Potawatomi Casino Hotel we like to do things big and bold and it doesn’t get much bigger than the NFL Draft,” said Dominic Ortiz, Potawatomi Casino and Hotel CEO and General Manager. “Partnering with Visit Milwaukee to help showcase what this great city has to offer is a no-brainer and we can’t wait to welcome football fans from across the country and around the world to Wisconsin.”
Milwaukee Tailgate Week visitors can enjoy a custom city tour experience with City Tours MKE, offering a unique way to explore the city's football history. For the history buffs, visitors are encouraged to take City Tours MKE’s NFL Milwaukee Tour, which visits: the Hilton Milwaukee, formerly the Schroeder Hotel and home of the 1939 NFL Draft; the Milwaukee Mile, site of the 1939 NFL Championship game; Helfaer Field, site of the old Milwaukee County Stadium where the Packers played games regularly until 1994; Journey House Packers Stadium, where the only official Green Bay Packers turf field in the world exists outside of Lambeau Field; and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, where you can pay respects to Packers legends like Vince Lombardi, Reggie White, Donald Driver and more. The NFL Milwaukee Tour costs $75 and includes draft beer, cheese curds, one (1) complimentary GA pass to Jordy Nelson’s Milwaukee Tailgate at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, and a 15% discount on other tours provided by City Tours MKE. To book, visit https://citytoursmke.com/tour/nfl-milwaukee-tour/.
For visitors looking for a place to stay from April 24-27, Visit Milwaukee has partnered with Milwaukee area attractions and hotels to offer stay, play and shuttle packages. Milwaukee Food & City Tours will be offering round-trip shuttle transportation from Milwaukee to Green Bay during the 2025 NFL Draft. Shuttles will depart daily from many downtown Milwaukee and airport hotels and take fans directly to the heart of the action, giving them more time to enjoy the excitement of the Draft. In true Milwaukee Food & City Tours fashion, the journey is part of the experience complete with a few tasty treats from local vendors. Visitors and locals can also join Milwaukee Food & City Tours on a Draught Tour, a spirited craft brewery tour of Milwaukee. Attendees can expect an entertaining ride filled with Milwaukee trivia, fun surprises, and of course samples of a variety of local beers, spirits and handmade cocktails. Reservations are open at www.milwaukefoodtours.com, and we encourage fans to book early—because just like the best players in the Draft, these seats won’t last long!
For partners planning their own Draft-related activations, promotions and events, let Visit Milwaukee know by submitting those programs here.
Special thanks to our Milwaukee Tailgate Week partners: Potawatomi Casino Hotel, TEAM LAMMI, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, Wisconsin Center District, Journey House, Milwaukee Wave, Saz’s Hospitality Group, South Second, City Tours MKE, Milwaukee Food & City Tours.
For partnership opportunities and additional information about Milwaukee Tailgate Week Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook, contact JAlbrecht@Milwaukee.org.