Besides the games themselves, tailgating is possibly one of the greatest parts of the fall season. Tailgating includes, great food, great friends, great fun, what’s not to like?
Just in case you somehow haven’t been tailgating before or just want some ideas, here are a few tips for your next pregame experience.
For starters, you can’t really have a tailgate if you don’t have a tailgate: as in the tailgate of a truck. Find a good place to set up shop and set up some tables, chairs, and a tent if you have one. Tents and other waterproof things are convenient if Mother Nature decides to rain on your parade. One of the best tailgate parties I ever went to was rained heavily upon, so we made rain gutters out of tarps and put them between the tents. It never hurts to be prepared.
Now that you have a sweet spot, and all of your gear is ready to go, you obviously need someone to party with. It is usually advisable to bring some friends or family with you when tailgating so you don’t look weird standing alone. Plus, other people are great for conversation!
In the interim when not eating or yelling a cadence count, no one wants to sit around and have boring old conversation. Consider bringing some fun lawn games, like cornhole or just a classic pigskin. Who knew you could have fun AND talk to people at the same time?
OK, obviously one of the most important parts of a tailgate is the food. If the food’s bad, the tailgate’s not too great either.
A staple of a good tailgate is a grill. It’s really hard to go wrong with grilled food (unless obviously you burn it), so make sure to bring burger patties, hot dogs, wings, or all three ready to throw on the BBQ. Also, anything that can be eaten in large
quantities all at one time is the best way to go. Chips, sandwiches, nachos, dessert… Okay now that I think about it, if you can eat it with your hands, bring it. Bonus points if it’s orange.
I’m not saying alcohol is always a good thing, but it definitely does liven up the party; no one’s denying that. Assuming that you are of legal drinking age, consider bringing some drinks to make things a little more interesting for everyone involved.
Those are pretty much the essentials for having a good time before the game.
Don’t forget to get there early and show off your blindingly neon orange team spirit. Have a good time, and Go Tigers!