City of Neighborhoods: Marquette Park

GREEN BAY – Marquette Park was recognized as a Neighborhood Association (NA) by the city of Green Bay on Nov. 5, 2008, and has been strongly dedicated to their mission ever since.

Of the 17 years that they have been formed, Jim Ridderbush has been president for all but two.

Ridderbush is also vice president of Green Bay Neighborhoods (GBN), the non-profit organization that organizes each of the 37 Neighborhood Associations.

Heading back to the first few years of their formation, Ridderbush still says that building and decorating Marquette Park’s street signs is one of his favorite projects the NA has done, and the yearly continuation of this beautification project now consists of landscaping and flower bed maintenance.

The signage isn’t the only thing that Marquette Park has added to the streets within their NA, as they also successfully requested the city to build a shelter over the bus station on Ninth and Gross Avenue.

As for upcoming events, Ridderbush said he is most excited about Green Bay’s Keys to the City Painted Piano Festival.

Ridderbush said that he is excited about this event specifically because of the way in which the music can bring people together.

The festival will be hosted in collaboration with several Neighborhood Association’s on May 18 at Marquette Park shelter.

More information on this event will be provided by the Tarlton Theater.

The next event that Ridderbush vocalized his anticipation for is their annual Fun Fest, which GBN recognized with the Outstanding Event Award in 2014.

Over 10 years later, this fundraising event is still one of the neighborhood’s favorite ways to come together, all while enjoying burgers, brats, bounce houses and more.

Marquette Park also made sure to keep the ball rolling after receiving the Outstanding Event Award, as a year later they were honored by GBN as Neighborhood of the Year (2015).

And they weren’t done there, as Ridderbush was given some hardware of his own — a 2016 Leadership Award.

Ridderbush shared that leading his NA isn’t about recognition for him, but that it was nice to be commemorated.

“I want to make sure that I know someday when I’m gone, I left my mark on the city, my neighborhood, and I know there’s still more to do,” he said.

Ridderbush also shared that Marquette Park, as well as many other Neighborhood Associations, struggled with becoming dormant in recent years due to the effects of COVID-19.

“We’ve just reformed in 2024. We have a full board now, and we’re starting to plan things and get things going again.”

To help jump back into action, Marquette Park encourages neighborhood residents in need of repairs, landscaping or any other volunteer projects to head to the “Marquette Park Neighborhood Association GB” Facebook page to find their newsletter and additional contact information.

“We ask neighbors if they have any kind of projects that we could possibly help them with, with a donation or volunteer,” Ridderbush commented on the newsletter callout.

Marquette Park’s newsletter also includes introductions to new NA members and contact information for interested sponsors, as well as their mission statement.

For any additional information regarding Green Bay Neighborhoods and their mission, head to gbneighborhoods.org.