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Law to make alcohol sales legal in Green Bay city parks; how the draft played a role

Green Bay plans for 2025 NFL Draft.
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GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Malt beverages could be for sale by Green Bay employees at city parks during special events, like the NFL Draft, thanks to a new law proposed to the common council.

  • Hear why the NFL Draft acted as a catalyst for a new law to be written in Green Bay.
  • Under the proposed ordinance alcoholic beverages will only be sold in unbreakable containers.
  • The parks department says alcohol will not be available in all parks all the time.
  • Green Bay Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Dan Ditscheit said there have been no estimates made of how much revenue these alcohol sales could bring in for the city.

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the web.)

The city of Green Bay is on its way to approving a brand-new law allowing certain alcohol sales in public parks like Leicht Memorial Park. I'm Pari Apostolakos here with why the city wants to allow this in the first place.

The city of Green Bay is close to approving a new law which was first read during a common council meeting Tuesday night. Now, selling alcohol in city parks is one step closer to being legal, with some restrictions.

"We have an interest in selling beer for the (2025 NFL) Draft event next year," Green Bay Parks, Recreation and Forestry Director Dan Ditscheit said.

At the parks department offices on Wednesday Ditscheit said the upcoming NFL Draft, to be hosted in Green Bay, was the catalyst for wanting this law on the books.

The proposed ordinance would only allow city officials and employees to sell malt beverages, like beer or certain seltzers, in city parks in unbreakable containers.

"We have had requests from the public throughout the years that this is a service that they would like us to provide," Ditscheit said.

Green Bay resident Jasmine Stiles says the ability to buy alcohol at an NFL Draft-related event in the city might influence the likelihood of her attendance.

"It's Green Bay and everybody drinks in Green Bay, you know?" Stiles said on Broadway Avenue Wednesday afternoon. "So it's a nice thing to go to an event and have it there."

Ditscheit said the city will not be selling alcohol at Bay Beach Amusement Park or public pools. He adds, it won't be for sale all the time at parks where it's allowed.

"We don't have any plans to sell them in our parks regularly," Ditscheit said. "But, we may choose to do it at certain special events."

Ditscheit said no decisions have been made regarding what brands of beer will be sold or what exactly this special draft event might look like.

The law is set to go through the final approval step in the coming weeks.