A tailgate party is a fun and social way to show your team spirit with friends and family. With our helpful ultimate tailgate setup tips, you can elevate your tailgate party to an event that everyone will remember.
Elevate Your Tailgating Game to Professional Standards
While it's easy to pack a couple of sandwiches and soft drinks for a casual tailgate party, why not elevate it to professional standards, especially if the event is for a corporate gathering or when hosting VIP guests? When planning, consider the menu, food preparation, pregame activities, and the location for a memorable and fun experience.
Strategic Pregame Planning: Setting the Stage for a Memorable Event
The best way to have a memorable tailgate event is with preplanning, from choosing the right location to creating the menu based on the event and your guests.
Choosing the Ideal Spot: Location, Location, Location
Before sending out invitations and buying food, research the venue to see if a tailgate party is allowed. Ask about space requirements, the times the venue permits parties, and their open-flame and open-container policies. Site your tailgate reasonably close to the restroom facilities for convenience and comfort. If you plan on having pregame activities, choose a place to set up your games safely.
Making Guest Lists and Sending Advance Notices: Who's Invited?
Once you've got the requirements for the specific tailgate venue, planned the food, and organized the games, it's time to make a guest list and send out invitations. Is your event exclusively for close friends or family members? Or is the tailgate for a corporate or team-building event? Create the list and send the invitations with plenty of time for guests to respond and prepare.
The Essentials Checklist: Ensuring Nothing Is Missed
Do you have enough seating and shelter for everyone? Have you purchased enough food and drinks, picnicware, and garbage and recycling cans? Making a list before the game will help ensure you haven't forgotten anything for a smooth and safe tailgate party.
Safety Measures: Keeping Your Tailgate Safe and Enjoyable
Safe food handling is essential for an outdoor event. Make sure the food is properly refrigerated and covered to keep insects away, and use a meat thermometer to ensure the food is cooked properly. If you're setting up a portable grill or barbecue, make sure the flames won't damage tablecloths, banners, or your guests. Have hand sanitizer close by, and choose a designated driver if your tailgate has alcoholic beverages.
Creating the Ultimate Tailgate Menu: From Easy Snacks to Gourmet Grilling
Food and beverages are the main draws for a tailgate event. Plan your menu according to the type of party you want, whether it's a gourmet event or a more casual one with finger food. Create a menu that matches the mood.
Prep in Advance: Tips for Stress-Free Food Preparation
When planning a tailgate party, create a menu with some foods you can prep at home, such as salads, marinades, and select appetizers. Carry prepared food in storage containers with tight-fitting lids, and follow safe handling rules for everything you'll serve.
Incorporating Ready-to-Eat Delights and DIY Grilling Stations
Have ready-to-eat foods available for guests as soon as they arrive. Snacks, finger foods, and appetizers can help quell hunger until the main courses are grilled and served.
Dietary Considerations: Catering to All Guests
When you send out invitations, ask if the guests have any dietary allergies or requirements. If so, you can prepare special foods for them or have a designated grill that's meat-free or kosher.
Must-Have Tailgate Party Snacks and Recipes
Tailgate planning requires researching various snack and recipe ideas. Good Housekeeping has a list of 35 food ideas, from sliders to gourmet grilled items, to help with your tailgate planning.
The Entertainment Zone: Activities and Fun for Everyone
Depending on the length of your tailgate party, activities and games make the event fun, social, and entertaining.
Setting Up a Hangout Area: Comfort Meets Style
Provide plenty of chairs or blankets for everyone's comfort. Small heaters can help provide warmth, and awnings provide shelter from the elements. Add hanging lights for a festive appearance, and decorate with your teams' banners and colors.
Games and Entertainment for All Ages (Including a Kid Zone)
If you have kids at your tailgate, set up a special area for them. Create a safe zone where adults can supervise their activities. Games for everyone include cornhole, sports trivia, or charades.
Maximizing Viewing Pleasure: Best Practices for Your Audiovisual Setup
You can watch pregame festivities with a portable AV and speaker setup. Bring a generator to power your electronics, from your big-screen television to your cell phones. Learn how to set up the AV system before arriving at the venue, and have it up and running before your guests arrive.
Live Music vs. Playlists: Curating the Perfect Game-Day Ambiance
Live music can be fun for your professional tailgate. However, it can be expensive and take a lot of space and setup. With so many streaming services and music sources available, it's often more relaxing to create playlists with select songs or moods.
Post-Tailgate Considerations: Cleanup and Follow-Up
Be sure the end of your tailgate party and postgame activities to be as memorable as the event with quality cleanup and follow-up.
The Clean-Up Plan: Leaving No Trace Behind
Cleaning up your tailgate party before the game is essential and polite. Bring plenty of trash cans, garbage bags, and containers to carry everything home. Set up designated recycling areas, and have people help put food in coolers or travel containers.
Follow-Up Messages: Thanking Guests and Sharing Memories
Whether you follow up digitally or with a handwritten note, it's fun to thank your guests for joining your professional tailgate. Have people share photos and their most memorable moments of the event.
Get More Tips for Hosting a Memorable Professional Tailgate Event
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person grilling meat by Stephanie McCabe is licensed with Unsplash License