GREEN BAY (NBC26) — While the Green Bay Packers played the Minnesota Vikings on New Years Eve, 700 people saw the game from a sold-out watch party in the shadows of Lambeau Field.
“I don’t really know what else would be better, just spending time with my friends in Titletown, we’re watching the Packers,” young fan and Green Bay resident Grady Schmidt said.
“It’s fun when there’s rivalry games, fans get really excited about that,” Schmidt's friend, Emmit Charles, said.
Titletown events coordinator Jessica Dickhut said so many people registered for the party, they had to split it up into different buildings.
“As expected, [Packers] fans are fantastic and they’re great," she said. "They’re really ready to cheer on the team with other [Packers] fans. Because there’s no better fans and no better way to just cheer on with other people. So, we’re really excited to host that for the first time.”
“This is one of the best new year’s eves I’ve ever had,” 12-year-old Liam Schroeder said at the watch party.
10-year-old Packers fan Charlie Maraniss made the trip to Green Bay with his family from Nashville, Tennessee.
“It just feels like, authentic,” he said of seeing Titletown in-person for the first time.
Dickhut said a total of 10,000 to 12,000 people are expected to come through Titletown to kick off 2024.
"TT NYE has really taken off in the community," she said. "It definitely helps hosting it for six years, they really start to build traditions of this is where they’re going to spend their new year. It’s really great.”
This year's festivities include ice skating, photo opportunities, ice sculptures, live music, live reindeer, fire pits and, of course, food and drinks.
This altogether makes for one of Titletown’s biggest events on its calendar.
