Tailgating Season Coming Soon
It may not be football season yet, but tell that to the legions of dedicated fans who just received their season tickets in the mail and are counting the days until they can go tailgating. When you think of tailgating, three main words come to mind: food, fun, and football. Tailgating is a total game day experience which starts early with pre-game meals and ends with post-game discussions and plans for the next week’s game. Tailgating brings together football fans to create one large family, a family that supports their favorite team.
To be a part of the tailgating family, there are a few tips to make your tailgating experience the most enjoyable. First, and most importantly, team colors are a must! When you are in the parking lot outside of your team’s stadium, the team colors will be the most dominate, so join your fellow tailgaters in showing your support. If you don’t want to go out and buy anything new, Krylon can help. With all of the colors available, you can customize your tailgating gear to match the colors of your beloved team. Turn an old looking lawn chair into a fan’s dream by painting it with team colors. If you have an old picnic bench that needs sprucing up, add your team colors and you’re the talk of the parking lot.
There are also many places that you can choose from when deciding on a location for tailgating. Stadiums will have different parking lots, garages, and designated areas for tailgaters to gather. These spots fill up fast so arrive early. Once you have your parking spot, decorate your site. Show your team pride with banners, flags, and team colors. A team flag can also provide as a site marker so that friends and family can easily find you in the crowded parking lot. You can even make your own flag or banner with the help of the Krylon spray paint and easy to use stencils.
While you are at your site, preparing your food and eating becomes a main priority. When it comes to your game-day food, plan ahead. If you are going to cook something that takes some extra time, plan ahead to arrive a little earlier to start your food. Also, thaw out any meat ahead of time so that all your food is ready for cooking. You will want to have everything ready well before game time so that you have plenty of time to eat and then get into the stadium for kick-off. Also, be sure to bring extra ice for your cooler so that drinks and left over food stays cold while you are in the game. Finally, be sure to clean up your site when you are finished.
Now that you have your parking spot and your food taken care of, don’t forget about some fun and competition. Cornhole and tossing the football are very popular in the tailgating community. Turn your cornhole game into a tribute to your favorite team. Spray paint it with your team’s colors (or for the gifted artist, your team’s helmet) and no one can question your devotion to your team.
Tailgating is a fun way to show your favorite team support. You can also bring out your creative side by making all of your tailgating necessities in your team colors. Personalize your table to look like the home field for your favorite team. Make your own flag to fly high with pride. Make a trashcan to look like your favorite team’s helmet. Not only will you have the cleanest site in the parking lot, but also the most fashionable. All of these are great ways to show your creativity and love for your team.
Tips and last minute must-haves:
- Make a check list to check off when loading your car
- Prep most of the food the night before so you have more time for fun
- Don’t be afraid to meet your tailgating neighbors – they often can help if you forgot something important
- Rain gear, weather can be unpredictable
- Extra ice
- Trash bags
- Paper towels
