Better late than never, but you should see some football fans squeezing in a side trip this weekend as the Green Bay Packers host their first home game of the season on Sunday. Destination Door County’s Jon Jarosh points to the uniqueness of this season’s schedule as to why the peninsula could see more people at typically untraditional times. It is only the eighth time in franchise history that the Packers have started a season in Green Bay in Week 3 or later according to the organization’s Dope Sheet, with the last occurrence coming in 2016. It was a year later that the Packers added more activities surrounding the game to help get people to the area earlier if they were coming in from out of town. Jarosh says the combination of the Packers’ Kickoff Weekend festivities and two games in a seven-day stretch could help people decide to extend their stays or find time to visit Door County.

After next Thursday’s game against the Detroit Lions, the Packers will not host another game until October 28th, catching the potential tail end of the leaves changing colors but missing Door County’s two busiest weekends of Egg Harbor Pumpkin Patch and Sister Bay Fall Fest. Jarosh says that could set the stage for a bigger shoulder season for Door County businesses with five home games occurring at Lambeau Field after November 1st.