Winter in the City

Officials from On Broadway, Inc. and Downtown Green Bay, Inc. were joined by special guests Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Santa Claus himself last week for a press conference announcing this year’s lineup of winter programming in Green Bay’s downtown districts.

“We historically have kind of focused on summer events, but we’ve got four real seasons here in Green Bay and I think it’s vitally important for us to get out and about and enjoy one another’s company year round,” Genrich said. “Now more than ever, a lot of people are kind of stuck in some ruts — just hanging out at home and watching Netflix or YouTube or whatever it is — and that’s not good for humans. It’s really good for us to come together. It’s great for these small businesses that are in our downtown, but it’s just as good and just as valuable for us to come together and be the social beings that we’re supposed to be. We’re inviting community members to come down and check out all these amazing things.”

On Broadway
“The winter season brings a special magic to the Broadway District,” said Brian Johnson, president and CEO of On Broadway, Inc. “Our events offer visitors and locals of all ages to experience what we have to offer and keep the focus on supporting the small businesses and shopping local during the holidays.”

In the Broadway District, winter programming has already kicked off with the start of the Christkindlmarket on Broadway series, which will continue on Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 21.

“As a community, we need to embrace the winter,” said Brian Johnson, president and CEO of On Broadway, Inc. “We need to position ourselves as a winter city and we need to think more strategically about winter programming. People don’t just hibernate in the winter and we want to create reasons and spaces and places that attract people out in the winter months, just as aggressively as we do in the summer months.”

The winter programming continues next Saturday, Nov. 30, with Small Business Saturday — a collaborative event between On Broadway, Inc., Downtown Green Bay Inc. and the Military Avenue Business Association.

“We really encourage people to shop small,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen tremendous success with it here in our downtown and we want to continue to accelerate that growth and that awareness — encouraging people to do their Christmas shopping locally and recognizing that for every dollar spent at a small business, there’s a much larger percentage of that dollar that stays here in our local economy.”

The Broadway District will also see the return of the Winter Wine and Beer Walk this year, now with expanded dates and hours to accommodate more participants.

“This event has become so popular we do cap the tickets, but we want to create a really comfortable consumer experience as well,” Johnson said. “So we expanded the hours to spread people out over a longer period of time and so stores aren’t getting as congested as people stroll and shop.”

Wrapping up On Broadway’s winter events is Winterfest, an annual celebration of winter in the city.

“[Winterfest] is another amazing event that brings people out into our district in a time when not a lot of folks are out roaming the streets,” Johnson said. “This gives them an excuse to get out and have fun.”

Downtown Green Bay
“As friends and relatives come home for the holidays, there are so many great reasons to visit the Downtown Business Districts,” said Jeff Mirkes, executive director of Downtown Green Bay, Inc. “Specialty shops and numerous holiday markets offer one of a kind gift ideas and provide a festive ambiance. Our great authentic restaurants are ready to serve up outstanding dining experiences. The robust schedule of unique events and holiday displays offer opportunities to develop new family traditions throughout the holiday season. Bundle up, take a stroll on the CityDeck and you will be impressed.”

In the Downtown District, events kicked off this week with the lighting of the Peace Tree outside the Brown County Courthouse.

“We’re heading into that time of year when families get together for the holidays and they’re always looking for something unique and special…” Mirkes said. “There’s a special feeling in the ambiance that you have when you come to the downtown districts. That’s what we want people to remember. We want to create memories and special experiences.”

Downtown Green Bay’s winter programming continues this Saturday, Nov. 23, with the return of the Holiday Parade for its 40th year.

Saturday, Dec. 14, Downtown Green Bay will host its Downtown Holiday Market at the KI Convention Center, which Mirkes said is “the perfect time to find some unique gift items for the holidays.”

The Cafe Crawl will also return to the Downtown District this year on Feb. 22.

“It’s an opportunity for people to break out of their usual routine,” Mirkes said. “Everyone has their favorite coffee shop, but the Cafe Crawl is an opportunity to explore many more, along with the ambiance of our Downtown District.”

Learn more about this year’s hometown holiday events at downtowngreenbay.com.