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This Park Street shoe shop and longtime gathering spot is closing up

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PARK STREET | FABIAN’S FORMER SHOE SHOP

This Park Street shoe shop and longtime gathering spot is closing up

ANNA HANSEN
Aug 29, 2026
Aug 29, 2026 Updated 5 hrs ago

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Fond farewells — George Fabian, center, is greeted by visitors, including Dan Speerschneider, right, with Ellen Sandow, at left, and Frank Alfano outside Fabian’s former shoe repair shop, which continued to be a gathering spot since the business closed in 2018, as the building closes its doors for good, on Park Street in Madison.
AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

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Locking up — John Caliva, left, locks the door of the former shoe repair shop on Park Street for the last time, with shop owner, George Fabian, center, as a crowd gathers outside the building that is closing its doors for good on Park Street.
AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

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A gathering place — People meet outside of George Fabian’s former shoe repair shop on Park Street as the building, which continued to be a gathering spot since the business closed in 2018, closes its doors for good.
AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

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Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts

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Big hugs — George Fabian receives a hug from a visitor as a crowd gathers outside his former shoe repair shop on Park Street one last time.
AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

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Fire trucks — Members of the Madison Fire Department pay a visit to George Fabian’s former shoe repair shop on Park Street as a crowd gathers the day the building closes for good.
AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

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Top stories for Aug. 28, 2026, in the Wisconsin State Journal

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Photos: 'Mayor of Park Street' closes his shoe repair shop

George Fabian has closed his shoe repair shop on Park Street after nearly 52 years in that location in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018.

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