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PHOTOS: Opening day of the NFL draft in Green Bay

The NFL draft is a showcase for the league's smallest city

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Updated
An older man in ornate green robes and a large hat with a face on it sits on a throne next to a boy standing, outdoors near a Packers tent and vehicles.
Fans wear costumes and take photos outside the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

With the national spotlight on Lambeau Field in Green Bay, football fans from across the country flocked to Wisconsin to watch the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday.

WPR spoke to some of these fans about the Packers’ home field, Midwestern hospitality and stories of their football fandom.

Here are some scenes from the day, captured by WPR’s photojournalist Angela Major.

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A crowd of people at an outdoor event watches fireworks as a person in the foreground raises a green hat.
A man waves his hat at the conclusion of the national anthem Thursday, April 24, 2025, during the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Large crowd of people, many wearing green sports jerseys, gathered closely together at an outdoor event.
NFL draft attendees fill the area near the stage Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Two Green Bay Packers fans in team jerseys cheer among a crowd outside a stadium, with a large mural of a football player in the background.
Spenser Pownell and his mom, Annette Pownell, of Madison, join in on a chant at the start of the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A group of football fans, some wearing team jerseys, stand outdoors and shout, appearing to cheer or call out, with a cloudy sky in the background.
NFL draft attendees express disdain for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A large crowd gathers in front of the main stage at the NFL Draft 2025 event, with American flags displayed on the screens and stadium lights illuminating the scene.
A crowd gathers outside of Lambeau Field at the start of the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A man in a beanie and jacket prepares to throw a football at an outdoor event, surrounded by people wearing Green Bay Packers jerseys.
A Packers fan plays a football-themed game at the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Two men wearing Green Bay Packers gear and novelty hats—one shaped like a football player, the other a wedge of cheese—pose together at an outdoor event.
Ryan Dahlberg and Rocky Schneider of Fond du Lac stand near the stage of the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A crowd of people waits in line outdoors near metal barricades; a man in a yellow hat gestures while speaking.
Fans wait in line to get into the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A woman smiles at an outdoor event, wearing a crocheted hat designed to look like a Green Bay Draft beer can. Colorful lights and people are visible in the background.
Packers fan Kim Bland drove from Missouri with her family to see the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Crowds of people, many wearing Green Bay Packers jerseys, walk along a fenced pathway outside a stadium on a cloudy day.
NFL draft attendees walk the grounds around Lambeau Field on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Staff members stand near Entry 2 at the NFL Draft Experience, with event banners and Lambeau Field stadium visible in the background.
Attendants prepare to let attendees in to the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A crowd of people wearing Green Bay Packers apparel stands on a grassy area, some holding up drinks, at an outdoor event near brick buildings.
Bars near Lambeau Field held outdoor events for NFL draft attendees Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Crowd of people in Green Bay Packers gear gather and take selfies in front of the NFL Draft stage, with Bud Light branding visible above.
A crowd gathers near the stage before the NFL draft begins Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Several people, including children and adults, run up a grassy hill next to a concrete stairway while others walk nearby. One person looks back and waves toward the camera.
Children and adults play on the Titletown Ariens Hill during the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Large directional sign with maps and color-coded exit information stands in a crowded outdoor area as people walk and gather nearby.
NFL draft attendees look at a map to find their next destination Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Fans walk outside Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, with team banners and a stage set up under a cloudy sky.
Fans explore the area around Lambeau Field during the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Two women wearing Green Bay Packers apparel stand and smile in front of an outdoor NFL Draft stage with people and bright lights in the background.
Packers fans Lauren Wilson, left, and Cora Bilitz, right, stand near the NFL draft stage Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
A large outdoor stage displays NFL Draft 2025 as people gather nearby; a statue of a man in a coat and hat stands in the foreground.
The stage is set up for the NFL draft on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
People walk along a fenced street, some wearing Green Bay Packers gear. The weather appears cloudy and cool.
Football fans walk along the fence surrounding the NFL draft campus at Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Angela Major/WPR

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