Football Fun: Throw the Perfect Tailgate

Kids are headed back to school, the weather will (hopefully) turn cooler soon… it’s time for football. 

Football season is such a fun time of year. There are few other sports in my life that allow for people to gather together and celebrate (and eat) like football does. If you need an excuse to have people over, watching your favorite team play is a good one. 

Whether you’re hosting people at your house to watch the college or NFL game or you’re tailgating in the parking lot, you need supplies. The last thing you want is for things to go amiss when people are drinking and ready to have some fun. 

The Custom Tailgate Box can set you up with some of the main necessities you’ll need for either a party at home or a tailgate in the parking lot. It will include plates, napkins, cups, utensils and decorations all of which will match your team. It’s the perfect way to get started and easily cross off a bunch of items on your planning list all at once. 

But, there are a few other things you need to keep in mind before throwing a football party. Let’s break it down between throwing a tailgate party and a party at your home. 

Tailgate: 

There are several important things to remember when organizing a tailgating party. Because the location of the party is up in the air depending on where you park, you’re outdoors and quite literally in a parking lot, a lot of extra organizing is required. Here are some quick tips: 

1. Check any and all rules for the stadium ahead of time. Some of them have a specific parking lot for those looking to tailgate and many have rules on alcohol and glass bottles. You’ll want to be sure everything you’re hoping to do is a-ok. 
2. Plan a meet up with your friends ahead of time, particularly if you’re looking to all park together. Meeting at a place nearby so you enter the stadium together can ensure you’re all parked near each other and don’t have to explain over the phone in a noisy parking lot that you’re “near a big tree… no a different big tree.” 
3. The key for any football party is food! If you’re grilling out, make sure the morning of the game that you have a checklist to ensure you’re not forgetting anything. The last thing you want is to get to the stadium, set up, and realize you forgot the charcoal for your grill at home. To make it easy, have everyone who’s coming contribute something so one person doesn’t end up with all the food responsibilities. 
4. Plan for weather. You’re likely already doing this if the stadium you’re at isn’t covered, but for the tailgate you may want to consider a small tent for people to eat under in the event of rain. 

 

Watch party: 

Say you’re just having friends over to your house to watch the game - there’s still plenty you should plan for. 

1. Depending on how many people you have over, make sure there’s enough seating so people won’t feel like they’re on top of each other. There’s a lot of movement while cheering for your team, so keep that in mind and either invite a manageable number of people or look into some alternative types of seating, like bean bags that are small and moveable or fold-out chairs with some cushions to keep them comfy. 
2. If you feel like your house is too small to host a football party, you're probably wrong. Even if your living room would be a tight squeeze, you can always set up a TV outside in your hard like I do for my Derby Day party each year or project it onto a screen - for tips on that, head to my blog post about outdoor movie nights. 
3. Think about cleaning after the game. You don’t want to have to wash a ton of extra plates, cups and utensils from all your guests, which is why I always suggest going with paper. You’re already going to have pans, most likely, for any cooking you have to do. This is where the Custom Tailgate Box can help you get all the paperware you need in your team’s colors! 
4. And, of course, food. I love with watch parties at your house that you get to be a bit more creative in what you eat. Have an air fryer? Make some chicken wings. It’s way easier to heat up dips at home than at a tailgate party at the stadium, and eating during the game without spending a fortune on stadium food is a major plus. I’m personally a huge fan of brunch for football games. It’s so fun to sip mimosas or spicy bloody marys over a breakfast casserole, and it’s so different from the typical “tailgate” food you see.

Want more football food suggestions? I’m so serious about the topic, I’ve got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to it - just click here to see what recipes I have saved. 

That’s all for now! Happy football season - and GO BUCS! 

---

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

---

Also in Blog