The original Packers fence on Lombardi Avenue is sporting its new message, ahead of the three others on the street, which seems appropriate.
All three will be painted across the street at Lambeau Field on Sept. 6, the day before the Packers open the 2025 season by hosting the Detroit Lions at 3:25 p.m.
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Former Green Bay Packers center Frank Winters will make an appearance at the fence at 1267 Shadow Lane. Painting of the 70-foot-long, paint-by-numbers mural will begin at 8 a.m. and community members are invited to add their strokes. No sign-up is required and painting supplies will be provided. Packers alumnus Winters will be at the fence from 10-10:30 a.m.
The Packers fence at 1177 Shadow Lane, Green Bay, shown on Sept. 3, is the first of the Lombardi Avenue fences to be painted for the coming season, which begins on Sept. 7.
Artist Zane Statz of ZAS Designs said nearly 500 fans showed up last year to help.
Also on Sept. 6, Christopher Handler of Handyman Services and artist Liza Holden of Crafted Tulip will repaint the fence at 1167 Shadow Lane. Handler is a Packers super fan who styles himself as The Original Packer Fence Painter, because he worked on the original fence located at 1177 Shadow Lane for a number of years.
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Artist Spencer Young of Forever Young Designs will repaint the fence at 1219 Shadow Lane. This is his 12th design in 11 seasons. All of the fences were repainted six months early for the 2025 NFL Draft, which was held in Green Bay on April 24-26.
More: Packers fences stand as a part of Lambeau Field neighborhood culture
The original Packers fence, first painted by Steve Kraft in 1984, already sports its new seasonal saying: “Original fence, new Policy, same goal,” referring to the Packers’ new president and CEO, Ed Policy, and to the team’s always stated goal to win Super Bowls.
The “Packers fence” tradition was started in 1984, when Steve Kraft, who owned 1177 Shadow Lane at the time, painted “Welcome Back, Forrest” on his slatted fence, as former offensive lineman Forrest Gregg returned to the team as head coach, replacing Bart Starr. Eventually the fence was replaced by one with a solid surface, as all four of them now have.
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Kraft sold the property to dedicated Packers fan Frederick Harrsch, who kept up the tradition. Harrsch died in 2022 at age 81, but sister-in-law, Dorothy Harrsch, who now owns the property, keeps up the fence-painting tradition with her son, Peter.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers fences on Lombardi Avenue to get new paint this weekend