As if you didn’t already know, tailgates are one of the highlights of every football season—scratch that, every fall semester. What’s better than hauling your favorite party dips and bevvies up to the stadium to consume with your friends and family and pump yourself up for yet another great game? Let us answer that for you—nothing, friends, nothing.
If you’re looking to get your own tailgate going but are not sure how to put it all together, we’ve got you covered.
Step One: Get Your Pass
Head up to the ticketing office in the BJC at least a week before the game and pay a mere $10 for your spot. Without that, you are facing at least $40 if you decide to wait until the day before.
Step Two: Prepare the Food (Probably the Night Before, Especially If It’s a Noon Game)
Some recommended foods that will always please a crowd are guacamole, buffalo chicken dip, and other great (and incredibly easy) game-day recipes (for the recipes, click here). All of these foods are better prepared at least a few hours in advance of arriving at the tailgate, so be prepared!
Step Three: Hydrate Heavily
You’ll be in the stadium for at least three hours, and nobody wants to know what level of desperation calls for buying $4 water at the concession stand. Make sure you’ve got plenty of water at your tailgate, and while you’re at it, pick up a bag of ice, because we all know the despair that comes with a lukewarm beverage.
Step Four: Bring All the Extra Stuff
If you don’t want to hate yourself when you’re all the way up at the stadium, far away from any convenience store, do yourself a favor and remember to bring these things:
- Chairs
- A fold-up table and plastic tablecloth
- Cups
- Plates
- Silverware and Serving Utensils
- Napkins
- Garbage Bags
- Storage Containers for Leftover Food
- Power Strip (if your car has an outlet, definitely bring a power strip so you can keep all your heated foods hot)
- Sunscreen (yup, your face and shoulders should know by now)
Step Five: Be Safe
No tailgate is a fun tailgate if things get out of hand. Make sure everyone is safe, well-hydrated and well-fed before leaving the tailgate. Also, make sure everything is cleaned up before you head to the stadium (unless some people are staying behind)—it’s a lot easier to come back to a nice, clean car to drive right on home after a long day in the stadium, instead of having to clean while exhausted.
What’s your idea of a perfect tailgate? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below!
