Will their wildest dreams come true? Green Bay-area businesses invite Taylor Swift, Simone Biles to visit
The possibility Taylor Swift might attend Sunday's Packers-Chiefs game in Green Bay spurred restaurants, retailers and Heritage Hill to invite Swift to stop by.
Jeff BollierGREEN BAY - Taylor Swift and Simone Biles could have a busy weekend in Green Bay, if they wanted.
Small businesses, community organizations, restaurateurs, nightlife spots and local Swifties from Green Bay to Fond du Lac have sought to welcome Swift, who is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and Biles, whose husband is Packers safety Jonathan Owens, to Titletown.
Biles said she will attend Sunday night's Packers-Chiefs game at Lambeau Field, while anticipation that Swift could touch down in Titletown, too, has spurred a growing chorus of social media pitches to Swift and Biles to shop, eat, drink and learn their way through northeastern Wisconsin this weekend. Some bar-and-grills near the stadium have scheduled Swift-themed events for the weekend, as well.
The volume grew as the week went on without any confirmation of Swift's plans — she still hasn't said she's not coming — and as local fans kept diligent watch on here whereabouts and hoped for the best.
Bar-and-grills near Lambeau scheduled dance parties. Even Wisconsin Public Service Corp. joined the fun, sending out a media release packed with Swift song references that encouraged customers to take "The Energy Efficiency Tour (Taylor's Version)" and do things like check their furnace filters and use weather-stripping to reduce energy usage.
"Brown County Library & all the Green Bay Swifties say Welcome Taylor Swift!" reads a sign in the Brown County Library above a display of Packers and Wisconsin history books, plus a cookbook "for serious cheese lovers."
The outpouring of hospitality is 100% on brand for Green Bay and northeastern Wisconsin, said Nick Meisner, of Discover Green Bay. The region's residents are always ready to help visiting Packers fans, regardless of global pop superstar status, find popular spots and hidden gems. Meisner noted this was on full display in May when Biles asked for suggestions about what to do in the area and residents were ready with ideas.
"At Discover Green Bay, we really love it. One of the things we’re most proud of when it comes to Green Bay as a destination is how hospitable we are," Meisner said. He later added: "It’s fun to rally the community around something and showcase our hospitality. We hope every visitor to Green Bay feels that hospitality."
Let's break down some of the pitches and promotions around the area.
Learn about Green Bay's history at Heritage Hill
Heritage Hill State Historical Park staffers on Wednesday took to Facebook to encourage Swift to carve out some time to learn a little Green Bay-area history and to sign up for an annual membership to the history park in the village of Allouez.
"We are a 50+ acre living history park with 26 historic buildings celebrating the diverse cultural ties that bind our communities (or 'squads') together," it wrote in a post.
It also noted membership would let her bring a guest for free, hinting that "that guy on the Chiefs" could tag along.
Dine on chicken strips and other cuisine at Green Bay-area restaurants
Even Taylor Swift has to eat, right?
Swift has previously said her favorite food is chicken strips and after she was spotted eating them at Chiefs games, local restaurants took note.
The Depot Green Bay offered to serve up Swift a batch of its chicken strips and waffles this weekend while St. Brendan's Inn reserved lucky table #13 for Swift "and any professional football players you might be getting serious with."
Taylor Swift-themed dance parties and contests
Bar-and-grill restaurants in the Lambeau Field vicinity leaned into Swift's possible arrival by planning Swift-themed events for Saturday night.
Anduzzi's Sports Club, 1992 Holmgren Way, will host Taylor Swift: The Anduzzi's Eras Party at 8 p.m. Saturday. The event will include Swift-inspired drinks, and fans are encouraged to dress in their favorite Eras Tour-inspired attire for a chance to win two tickets to the Packers-Chiefs game Sunday night.
Burkel's One Block Over, 1007 Tony Canadeo Run, will host a Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce dress-up contest from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. Prizes will be presented to the best individual Taylor Swift, best individual Travis Kelce and best couple.
Shop at a Swift-inspired Fond du Lac store Mirrorball
Casey Fiebig drew inspiration from Swift's song "mirrorball" on her 2020 album "folklore" when it came time to name his Fond du Lac home décor store, 44 N. Main St., that specializes in new and vintage items.
On Thursday, Fiebig asked his followers and fellow Swifties to share the shop's Facebook post in the hopes they could help get Swift's attention. He offered them 22% discounts for doing so, a nod to the song "22" on her album "Red," and a free mirrorball ornament to customers who spend more than $40 (while supplies last.)
The post on Friday morning had been shared almost 600 times, a Milwaukee TV station covered the store's post, and Fiebig said his TikTok video posted Thursday has been viewed more than 18,000 times and drawn more than 200 comments. In a follow-up Facebook post, he called the past several days "pure magic."
Meet-up with a very special Green Bay Swiftie
You might remember back in August 2020 when a delivery driver asked Brandy Baenen to sign for a box of autographed copies of Swift's then-new album, "folklore," as she waited outside the Exclusive Co.
Baenen held onto the box until store manager Tom Smith arrived and handed it over, excited when Smith confirmed her suspicions about the box's contents. Her actions earned praise from Smith and national attention from USA TODAY and the "Today" show.
Smith on Thursday in a post on X asked followers who thinks it would be cool if Swift met up with himself and Baenen to "reminisce" about the incident.
Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter and resident Swiftie Danielle DuClos reviewed this report.
Contact Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 orjbollier@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JeffBollier.