GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – A Green Bay Labor Day tradition returned to Shadow Lane next to Lambeau Field, as volunteers gathered to repaint the original Packers fence ahead of the start of the regular season.
Every Labor Day, fans gather on Shadow Lane to repaint the fence outside the house where the tradition began.
“This is the second year that we came out. It signifies the beginning of the Packers season. Go Pack Go,” said Sherri Wagner, a Packers fan.
For some, it has become a yearly ritual they will not miss.
“I have it on my calendar for the rest of my life. Every Labor Day, I’m here. It’s only the second year, but I’m on it forever now,” said Julie Schroeder, a Packers fan.
Fence owner Peter Harrsch said that kind of devotion is the reason the tradition has continued year after year.
“It’s such a big deal to see how much all these people love the Green Bay Packers…that they’re willing to come out here and put the time and work in to put this beautiful saying up on this fence,” Harrsch said.
Choosing this year’s phrase
Before any paint goes on, the family has to decide what the fence is going to say.
Each new Packers season starts with a new message on Lombardi Avenue, on the first fence to start the tradition. This year’s phrase reads “Crafted with love, a golden opportunity, and smack on target,” referencing a new generation of players for the Green Bay Packers.
It is one of the many phrases the Harrsch family spends weeks getting right each year.
Harrsch said the phrase aims to represent this year’s team while also displaying the names of their new core of players.
“You could look at it as the team overall is crafted with love. The team is blessed with this golden opportunity…and then smack on target,” Harrsch said.
The phrase may change every year, but the reason generations of fans show up to paint it does not.
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