Tailgating 101 | The Everyday Hostess

Last year we shared all of our favorite tips and tricks for hosting the perfect game watching party from the comfort of your home – but what if you want to take your party on the road with you and enjoy a game day tailgate?!

Tailgates are always my favorite way to get in the spirit and enjoy a fun-filled day of football! But if you’re the host, they also come with a long list of to do’s and quite a bit more preparation. To help ease the stress a bit, we’ve put together the x’s and o’s of how to throw the perfect tailgate!

Arrival Time: Your arrival time will depend on how die hard your group is, but I have found that most fans start arriving around 3 hours before the game starts. Therefore, you should plan on getting to your tailgate spot around 4-5 hours before kick-off. That way, you will have plenty of time to set-up and cook before your friends start showing up.

Supplies: Always keep a toolbox in the back of your car with tailgating essentials such as jumper cables, spatulas, bottle openers, tongs, extra silverware, flashlights, can openers, trash bags, paper towels, hand sanitizer, duct tape, etc. If you’re really serious, consider bringing a generator for your car and a grill! And don’t forget plenty of coolers to chill your food and beer.

Food Prep: Prepare all ingredients the night before. This will make your day of prep and cooking much easier! For example, if you’re serving burgers, shape and pack the burger patties between sheets of wax paper and slice up the condiments and toppings in advance!

Now for the fun part! Decor and food!

Setup: For the perfect display, convert the back of your car or truck bed into a DIY serving station for your guests! This will make your tailgate more interactive and will minimize the work for you. I love the idea of a hot dog or burger bar, so fellow fans can dress their dish however they prefer.

Decor: Class up your tailgate with a few special touches! Consider adding a touchdown paper table runner as an easy way to spoof up your tables. Then add banners, flags, decorative napkins and straws, serving trays, and koozies in your team’s colors to create a game winning display! Check out our favorite festive details from our recent tailgate here!

Food: When it comes to tailgating food, easy is the name of the game! I keep my menu to anything that can be made on a grill out of our trunk (burgers, hotdogs, and BBQ sliders) or anything that does not need to be heated or refrigerated for a long time (think chips, sliced veggies, dips, fruit kabobs, nachos, jalapeno poppers, puppy chow, seasoned popcorn, cupcakes, chocolate covered pretzels, etc.).

Drinks: Beer is an absolute staple at tailgates, but consider serving a signature cocktail in your school’s color as well! For a cute and easy decorative tip, I love adding washi tape to mason jars in the shape of football strings for each guest’s beverage.