Camper with Green Bay Packers banner, September 19, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Preparations to host visitors at Brown County campgrounds during the NFL Draft have been underway for months.
“We’re really doing what we normally do in the spring, which is summer prep work. But we’re going a little bit above and beyond to make sure things are pressure washed and everything’s as tidy as we can make it,” said Matt Kriese, director of the Brown County Parks Department.
245 campsites were made available for the draft. As of Monday, 220 are reserved with people staying in an RV or camper.
“We have quite a number of out-of-state people that have reserved campsites,” said Kriese.
Campsites are set to open Friday, April 18. Some campground hosts will be arriving later this week and helping to finish up preparations at locations like the Reforestation Camp in Suamico.
“We’re just waiting for the weather to stay above freezing so we can get the water turned on,” said campground host Pete Borchardt. “After that happens, we’ve just got to clean up the place, go around and check everything, make sure the electrical is working.”
Aside from the Reforestation Camp, the other two campgrounds being used for NFL Draft visitors are the Brown County Fairgrounds and Bay Shore Campground.
Brown County Parks says it doesn’t have a shuttle planned to take people between the campgrounds and draft campus.
“Our sites, such as Reforestation Camp or Bay Shore, that’s definitely going to be alternative transportation, or even driving,” said Kriese.
No matter the campground, each campsite costs $100 per night, with a three-night minimum.
That means at least $66,000 is being brought in by the Brown County Parks Department for hosting guests during the draft.
Much of that money will be going towards staff working a bit more overtime, with the camping season beginning earlier than normal.
“All of our costs and all that revenue, it really goes back into what we’re doing here. And if there’s any extra at the end of that, it’s going to go back into campgrounds,” said Kriese.
The 25 remaining campsites are at the Bay Shore Park campground.
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