How to Host a Football Tailgate Party

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Tailgating’s metamorphosis from a beer-fueled hot dog roast to an art form has been overlooked by many eligible tailgating virgins. It’s time to educate the uninitiated and show them what it takes to smell the team spirit. To get started, focus on the power trine: Man power, battery power and grill power. So let me see your grill (and I don’t mean your teeth!).... It’s time for the Webers in the group to unite for barbeques, beers and banners!

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Think of your tailgate party as a mini production along the lines of camping meets sports bar. Here’s what’s on the basic set list:
Grill, grilling supplies (check out the links below for killer mobile grills)
Coolers (best if with wheels)
Seating
Flags, banners and other team affiliated materials
Radio, boom-box or portable television
Blankets, lighting, citronella, and so forth for night games
Card tables and cloths
Food and beverage
Plates, napkins, silverware, cups, bottle opener and so on

Step2

Instead of grabbing basic folding chairs and sitting in the back of the truck, go front-porch chic and transform the parking lot into your own outdoor living space. Enlist a few guys to help load a couch or chairs from home for maximum comfort. Toss sheets or blankets in team colors over everything to protect the fabric.

Step3

Hype the #1 Fan contest by letting everyone know ahead of time that there will be a prize for most enthusiastic wardrobe. Bring the face paint, hats, foam fingers and anything else you can glue to your body and let the good times roll. For prizes, think game-day paraphernalia like team cups, key chains, bobble heads or, if you are feeling generous, tickets to the next game.

Step4

To show that you’ve got spirit, set up an extra table for team-banner making. Get a roll of white butcher paper. Then load a tool box with markers, paints, stamps, stickers, glue and glitter for fans to make some killer banners worthy of the TV camera stop and stare.

Step5

Brew some healthy competition off the grid-iron with a scavenger hunt. Make a list of things people have to find or do before the game starts, print up enough for everyone to participate and let ‘em fly. Include digital disposable cameras so the hunters can document their trek. Here are a few ideas for the hunt:

Ask to try a bite of a strangers hot dog or hamburger
Take a picture with a fan from the opposing team
Find 5 footballs
Give a high five to 3 fans of the opposite sex
Chug a beer (or soda)
Find a truck with a team license plate cover
Find a bucket hat with your teams name on it
Find 3 different types of hats with your team logo on it and take a picture with all of them on at once

Step6

A great tailgating game is baggo (order from link listed below). It comes with a board that looks like a mini-football field and bean bags. The objective is to throw the bean bags and make a touch down. It’s easy to travel with and set up and perfect for every competitor in the group.

Step7

Staking your space before the lot is jammed is key. Lay out the grilling area, have an extra table available to serve as the buffet, and bring a few coolers for drinks (don’t forget the ice).

Tips & Warnings

Making a list and checking it twice isn’t an exclusive technique for Santa. Keep a master list of everything you want to include with you during the planning process so if you are out and about you can pick things up instead of cramming the day before the party.
If you are staying in tailgate mode for the actual game and not heading into the stadium, set up shop in a half circle formation so when the game starts the radio or portable TV can be in a general area.
Tie a bottle opener to one handle on each of the coolers so it doesn’t get lost.
No offense Oak-Town, but if you’re team is playing the Raiders lay low on the “take a picture with a fan from the opposing team” for the scavenger hunt, they tend to be a little intense when it gets close to game time.