Milwaukee Tailgate Week
Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook
April 24 - April 26, 2025
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. 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.

Mark Your Calendars
Milwaukee Tailgate Week will bring the energy with exclusive events celebrating the city’s football culture, legendary brews, and vibrant atmosphere. From VIP experiences and brewery tours to a can’t-miss tailgate party, there’s no better place to be than Milwaukee during Draft Week 2025. Get ready to cheer, celebrate, and soak in the excitement—right here in the Cream City!
Thursday, April 24
Potawatomi Sportsbook: Milwaukee Tailgate Central
Celebrate opening day of the 2025 NFL Draft at the Potawatomi Sportsbook 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. Held on day two of Milwaukee Tailgate Week Presented by Potawatomi Sportsbook, Tailgate Talk Live will feature a dynamic conversation featuring gridiron greats with deep roots in the Milwaukee area. Featured guests (to be announced soon) 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 activations 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 player's insider show Inside the Huddle, hosted by Jordy Nelson and special guests. Program highlights also include Packers 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.
Touchdown in Milwaukee
As the NFL Draft heads to Wisconsin, Milwaukee is the ultimate destination for a weekend of football, history, and entertainment. Join us at Milwaukee Tailgate Week’s signature daily events listed above, take one of two custom gridiron-themed city and brewery tours, explore the city’s football legacy, and easily make your way to Green Bay for the Draft—all while experiencing the best of Milwaukee!
Milwaukee Tailgate Week Tours & Shuttle Rides
Make the most of Milwaukee Tailgate Week with exclusive tours that celebrate the city’s football history and vibrant culture. City Tours MKE offers the NFL Milwaukee Tour, a deep dive into the city's football legacy with stops at historic sites like the Hilton Milwaukee (home of the 1939 NFL Draft), the Milwaukee Mile, and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. For $75, guests enjoy draft beer, cheese curds, a Jordy Nelson's Milwaukee Tailgate with Inside the Huddle Live! pass, and discounts on other tours. For those looking for a spirited adventure, Milwaukee Food & City Tours offers the Draught Tour, a lively brewery experience featuring local craft beer, spirits, and trivia. Book your tour now with City Tours MKE or Milwaukee Food & City Tours.
For visitors traveling between Milwaukee and Green Bay during the 2025 NFL Draft, Milwaukee Food & City Tours makes getting to the action easier than ever with daily round-trip shuttles from 38 Milwaukee-area hotel locations, including downtown and airport hotels. Less than a two-hour drive to Green Bay, these shuttles ensure fans maximize their time enjoying the Draft while experiencing the best of Milwaukee along the way. Secure your round-trip shuttle now HERE!
Stay in Milwaukee
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. Grab a room at Potawatomi Casino Hotel – home of 2025 Milwaukee Tailgate Central at Potawatomi Sportsbook, THE place to be during the 2025 NFL Draft! This state of the art sports and gaming venue features dozens of self-serve kiosks, seating for over 200, a 2,000+ square feet video wall, and the perfect backdrop for Draft week in Milwaukee. Or if you’re looking to throw it back to 1939, stay at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, home of the 1939 NFL Draft! Milwaukee Tailgate Week hotel packages are coming soon!
Iconic (and Timely) Attractions
Our city has things to do in every season, but spring embodies a bountiful juxtaposition of Milwaukee sports and entertainment. Day at the ballpark? Head to American Family Field for a Brewers game or stadium tour. NBA basketball? The Milwaukee Bucks – NBA champions in 2021 – are playoff regulars. A fan of motorcycles? Hit the Harley-Davidson Museum. Want to catch live music or a theater production? See who’s playing at The Rave and Pabst Theater. Long story short, sports and entertainment flat-out delivers in Milwaukee!
Flavors to Refuel
We understand you’re in Milwaukee to celebrate the first NFL Draft in Wisconsin since 1939, and that means you’ll need to fuel up amidst Milwaukee's diverse local restaurant scene. From Top Chef-level restaurants, to specialty foods made in Milwaukee, to cheese curds, to a farm-to-table community that will satisfy even the most devout locavore, Milwaukee has a flavor for every visitor.
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