Tailgating parties are parties held in the
parking lots of large events to celebrate such as
football or baseball games, concerts, or other
large events.[1] The tailgate party is focused
around the "tailgate" (or back) of the pick-up
truck and usually involve cooking on a small
grill or barbecue, and adding salads, drinks
(including alcohol) and snacks. Sometimes an
entire parking lot is turned over to tailgating
partying, other times it's confined to people's
vehicles. When the tailgate revolves around
football, it's also traditional to bring along
decorative items such as flags and football team
paraphernalia.
As well as being a good excuse for a party, tailgating is a great way
to bond with your friends and enjoy the game together. Here are some
suggestions for throwing your own tailgate party during the football
season.
!! Steps !!
* Friends are an important part of the tailgate party ritualFind
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.
* Find a vehicle large enoughEnsure 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.
Besides food and drink, you'll need plates, condiments, chairs,
blankets...Figure out a list of food, drinks, and other items
that people will be bringing. 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.
Plan the food. 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.
* Football helmet cookies are a hit with kids!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.
Be in early to set upGet to the parking lot early. 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.
* Set up the grill and be ready to cookSet up any equipment.
Start the barbecue grill so that when people show up, the charcoal
will be ready to cook straight away.
* Have fun!Have fun, get into conversations with other
tailgaters, and enjoy the party. 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!
Clean up before the game if you're going inClean up after the
party. 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!
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* If you prepare and marinate any barbecue meat the previous night,
like chicken or steak, you won't have to worry about it on the day
of the event. Plus the marinated sauce and spices will give the
food more flavor if kept in the refrigerator overnight.
* When packing anything, whether it's your cooler or your car, put
the heaviest things on bottom. Jugs of water on the bottom.
Veggies on top. This will keep your tailgating munchies from
getting squished. Top off the remaining space in the cooler with
ice. That way, it's sure to be nice and cold when you arrive.
* If you are going to a football game, have team spirit and either
dress up with jerseys or paint faces with their team colors. In
addition, consider decorating your car with such items as flags,
removable stickers, and other items that support your team.
* Blankets can be a handy item to bring along for added warmth or as
something to sit on, especially if the ground or vehicles are not
clean, warm, or dry enough.
* Trucks are the most popular vehicle to include in the party, hence
"tailgate party" because the board or back of the truck is called
a "tailgate". Vans and SUV's are other similar vehicles that can
be used successfully.
* Have an autograph book at the ready. You'll never know if any
retired players may join in.
* You can purchase a combination grill and cooler that cooks your
food and keeps the drinks cool!
!! Warnings !!
* Don't tailgate where it's not permitted; doing so can attract a
large fine.[2]
* Recently many NFL teams have started regulating how long before a
game fans can tailgate, and some teams are even considering
banning the practice altogether. This is being done to help curb
inappropriate behavior by fans who are usually intoxicated. Check
your team's website as well as the venue's website to make sure
you know all tailgating restrictions.
* Drink responsibly.
* Have a designated driver.
* It's a good idea to have an instant stain removal spray on hand in
case of spills on the car upholstery or carpets.
!! Things You\'ll Need !!
* Barbecue grill
* Food and drink
* Vehicles to hang out in
* Ice chest, cooler, or thermal tray
* Folding chairs
* Face paint
* Team jerseys
* Music
* Night lights
* Generator (very optional, for the hardcore tailgater!)
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Accommodate Vegan and Vegetarian Guests
* How to Throw a Super Bowl Commercial Watching Party
* How to Appreciate College Football
* How to Host a Party in an Apartment Without Getting Busted or
Thrown Out
* How to Throw a Super Bowl Party
* How to Throw a Cocktail Party
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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