How to Throw a Tailgate Party
Find friends and family willing to have a tailgate party with you., Ensure that at least one person going has a car large enough to cope with all the things you're likely to need to take., Figure out a list of food, drinks, and other items that...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find friends and family willing to have a tailgate party with you.
Be sure to tee this up with them in plenty of time to ensure you can all get tickets to the game.
It also helps if you're able to all show up at the venue at roughly the same time, or even together, so you might like to arrange to meet at one house first and drive to the venue as a group. -
Step 2: Ensure that at least one person going has a car large enough to cope with all the things you're likely to need to take.
The type of things needed will include folding furniture, keg, etc. , This part is important because good planning in advance will ensure that everything goes smoothly and that all people participating are catered for adequately.
It also means that the effort gets to be shared around as each person brings along something.
Check the rules of the venue as to having alcohol, glass containers or kegs.
Rules will vary depending on the venue.
Plastic cups are probably a safe bet if alcohol is allowed.
Find out if there are going to be any kids so that there can be juice or soda for them, along with any food they'd prefer eating.
Use containers to keep everything in the right place.
All of the dry items such as plates, napkins, and utensils can be carried in a plastic bin.
Don't forget to bring along bottle openers, garbage bags, ice, water, sun protection, and small plastic bags for taking home leftovers.
Condiments, mustard, sauces, and salt and pepper are important items to bring along too! Keep all cold and cooked foods in a cooler or thermal tray to keep them at a safe temperature.
Perishables like meats should go into one cooler.
Veggies and drinks should go in a second cooler.
If you're in the dark, consider using night lights. , While it's up to you what you'd like to have, it's recommended that the foods chosen either be ready to eat or take no more than 15 minutes at the most to cook
- keep it quick and easy.
Suggested suitable foods for tailgate parties include:
Barbecued steak, chicken, hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, kebabs, one-pot-meals (chili, macaroni cheese), etc.
Snacks such as buffalo wings (pre-made), hero meatball sandwiches, dips, corn chips, nachos, pretzels, etc.
Potato salad, coleslaw, bean salad, or other salads.
Goodies for the kids, such as football shaped sandwiches, football cookies and football cupcakes.
Soda, juice, water, alcohol, hot drinks
- hot drinks are as important as cold in the cold weather; coffee, mulled cider, hot cocoa, etc.
Cook or bake ahead where possible.
Items such as baked potatoes will benefit from being cooked in advance and only needing to be heated up rather than cooked on the day. , It's nice if two vehicles come together and pick parking spaces right next to each other.
Call the people who are coming and tell them where you are if they're not already with you.
Be aware that it does need to be in the parking lot of the designated event, not any random parking lot. , Start the barbecue grill so that when people show up, the charcoal will be ready to cook straight away. , Play your favorite music, have a few games like beer pong, and generally live it up.
Just don't drink so much that you can't enjoy the game! , Plan to have enough time to clean and store everything back into the vehicles before the gates open for people to enter the event.
If you didn't manage to get into the event, have a TV or radio with a power converter so that you can continue to enjoy the game from your tailgate party, if permitted.
Alternately, you may simply have chosen to not go into the game but to enjoy it from outside the stadium; this allows you to party on for longer! -
Step 3: Figure out a list of food
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Step 4: drinks
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Step 5: and other items that people will be bringing.
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Step 6: Plan the food.
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Step 7: Get to the parking lot early.
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Step 8: Set up any equipment.
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Step 9: Have fun
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Step 10: get into conversations with other tailgaters
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Step 11: and enjoy the party.
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Step 12: Clean up after the party.
Detailed Guide
Be sure to tee this up with them in plenty of time to ensure you can all get tickets to the game.
It also helps if you're able to all show up at the venue at roughly the same time, or even together, so you might like to arrange to meet at one house first and drive to the venue as a group.
The type of things needed will include folding furniture, keg, etc. , This part is important because good planning in advance will ensure that everything goes smoothly and that all people participating are catered for adequately.
It also means that the effort gets to be shared around as each person brings along something.
Check the rules of the venue as to having alcohol, glass containers or kegs.
Rules will vary depending on the venue.
Plastic cups are probably a safe bet if alcohol is allowed.
Find out if there are going to be any kids so that there can be juice or soda for them, along with any food they'd prefer eating.
Use containers to keep everything in the right place.
All of the dry items such as plates, napkins, and utensils can be carried in a plastic bin.
Don't forget to bring along bottle openers, garbage bags, ice, water, sun protection, and small plastic bags for taking home leftovers.
Condiments, mustard, sauces, and salt and pepper are important items to bring along too! Keep all cold and cooked foods in a cooler or thermal tray to keep them at a safe temperature.
Perishables like meats should go into one cooler.
Veggies and drinks should go in a second cooler.
If you're in the dark, consider using night lights. , While it's up to you what you'd like to have, it's recommended that the foods chosen either be ready to eat or take no more than 15 minutes at the most to cook
- keep it quick and easy.
Suggested suitable foods for tailgate parties include:
Barbecued steak, chicken, hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers, kebabs, one-pot-meals (chili, macaroni cheese), etc.
Snacks such as buffalo wings (pre-made), hero meatball sandwiches, dips, corn chips, nachos, pretzels, etc.
Potato salad, coleslaw, bean salad, or other salads.
Goodies for the kids, such as football shaped sandwiches, football cookies and football cupcakes.
Soda, juice, water, alcohol, hot drinks
- hot drinks are as important as cold in the cold weather; coffee, mulled cider, hot cocoa, etc.
Cook or bake ahead where possible.
Items such as baked potatoes will benefit from being cooked in advance and only needing to be heated up rather than cooked on the day. , It's nice if two vehicles come together and pick parking spaces right next to each other.
Call the people who are coming and tell them where you are if they're not already with you.
Be aware that it does need to be in the parking lot of the designated event, not any random parking lot. , Start the barbecue grill so that when people show up, the charcoal will be ready to cook straight away. , Play your favorite music, have a few games like beer pong, and generally live it up.
Just don't drink so much that you can't enjoy the game! , Plan to have enough time to clean and store everything back into the vehicles before the gates open for people to enter the event.
If you didn't manage to get into the event, have a TV or radio with a power converter so that you can continue to enjoy the game from your tailgate party, if permitted.
Alternately, you may simply have chosen to not go into the game but to enjoy it from outside the stadium; this allows you to party on for longer!
About the Author
Karen Anderson
Karen Anderson specializes in education and learning and has been creating helpful content for over 12 years. Karen is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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