This is your first time throwing a tailgating party – where do you start? What do you need?
Don’t fret! We have a list of the basic necessities that every tailgate party needs to be absolutely amazing; and that will keep your guests coming back year after year!
These are seven essentials to a fabulous tailgating party:
Location:
Two of the most popular tailgating places are homes and parking lots. When tailgating at a parking lot, you will need to make sure you don’t forget anything, as well as make sure that all the food and drinks are at the right temperature. Nobody wants hot beer. If you plan on grilling there is a grill at your destination, if not, bring one.
Guests:
When inviting guests, let them know a week or two ahead of time just in case they have other plans or need to find a sitter. Invite as many people as you would like and can handle. Don’t invite 50 people if you’re not prepared to throw a party for 50 people. Have enough seats, drinks and food for all of your guests. Also, remember that not all your guests will be rooting for the same team. Talk to the guests before the tailgate. Remind them that you planned the party to have a good time, and if they are going to get out of hand, they will be asked to leave. Also make sure you ask a few people to help you calm things down in case a situation gets out of hand. Sore losers and beer are the worst combination at any party.
Food:
Every great party has food, so of course a tailgate party isn’t an exception. During tailgates there are three staple entrees: hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza. You also want to make sure you have sides, snacks and dessert.
For sides you can make things like salads, baked beans, breads, soups – there are tons of recipes out there. Snacks usually consist of chips, pretzels, dips, vegetables and fruit. When choosing what to have for dessert, you can go with classics like cookies and cake.
Drinks:
For kids, a fun fruit punch is always a hit! Just add fruit.
Make sure to have a cooler with plenty of ice to keep drinks like beer, soda and water ice cold. Unless of course you are tailgating outside when the weather is cold – that’s a great time to bring some hot cider or coffee.
Decorations:
Decorations at a tailgate party are like cheerleaders at a football game. They keep the guests in a tailgating spirit. Don’t spend too much on decorations though. You will be spending more than enough money on food and drinks. Go to places like The Dollar Store for cheap decorations. If you can’t find any tailgating stuff, buy things that represent the colors of your favorite team.
Classic Tailgating Games:
Washer Toss, Ladder Golf and Cornhole are all very popular games to play at a Tailgate.
The Game:
The game! The reason you’re throwing this party in the first place. If you decide on having your tailgate party at home, make sure that your TV receives the channel that the game will be on, as well as enough seating for your guests.
Now that you have the basics to throw your tailgating party, get creative and have fun. As long as there is good food and the game is on, the rest will fall into place.
Pictures from Flickr.com by The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Apron Strings, Elizabeth1 and southern Cinderella