Tailgating for the Team Tips

Phyllis Cambria and Patty Sachs

PartyPlansPlus.com

For a stadium soiree atmosphere away from the game, nothing beats the fun of tailgating. You can set up chairs in your driveway, local parking lot or backyard and bring out the televisions or rent a large screen projector to help your guests feel as if they're sitting on the sidelines. Just let guests know to be prepared to dine alfresco no matter if the weather is raining, hailing, snowing or in the crisp darkness of night.

If you're heading to the game, be sure to arrive early to select your spot. Some stadiums have special sections reserved for tailgaters.
Bring chairs for elderly or infirmed guests.
Don't forget the kids. Pack games and fun foods they'll enjoy.
Help friends to find you by flying a family flag or a distinctive helium-filled balloon arrangement.
When tailgating, choose foods that can be cooked ahead of time and brought to the party site in insulated containers or are all prepped to be grilled, smoked or fried in front of your guests.
Pre-cut foods at home to make cooking time quicker and eating easier. Store in leak-proof bags to keep food flavors and meat juices from co-mingling and possibly causing a food safety problem.
Be sure to bring along all the utensils and tools you'll need including corkscrews, can openers, disposable paper products, trash bags, charcoal, matches, and wet wipes or pre-moistened towels for post-meal clean-ups. Make a list of items to ensure nothing will be forgotten at home.
Tailgate - Kegger Kit The ideal way to serve cold brewskies to a smaller collection of fans.

For ease of service, keep portions to bite-sized pieces to allow guests to eat while standing without needing a knife.
Save on clean-up by making use of disposable paper goods, utensils and serving containers.
Be a team player and be sure to bring lots of trash bags to neatly dispose of any waste.
Don't forget to have lots of ice to safely cart leftovers home or to save for a post-game snack while waiting for the parking lot to clear. To avoid a melted mess, freeze plastic jugs of water or fruit juice. They'll stay frozen longer and any melted liquids can provide a brisk beverage.
Pack foods in reverse order so the last items packed are the first ones eaten or cooked.
Check on a stadium's alcohol restrictions before planning your beverage buy.
Fly a team pennant on your antenna and drape your space and buy paper products in your team colors to spur on the fans.
Swap recipes and leftovers with tailgating neighbors.
Award a gift for the best" tailgator"..of tickets to an upcoming sports event.

Baltimore Raven Tickets, Cincinnati Bengal Tickets, Pittsburgh Steeler Tickets, Cleveland Browns Tickets

Excerpt from Pick A Party: The Big Book of Party Themes and Occasions

By Patty Sachs

Party Tactics: Tailgating

Intro: One of the biggest contributions to the party planner's convenience store of ideas is entertaining out of the back of a hatch-back, station wagon, van or truck. Serving a spread of food and beverage from the tailgate of your family vehicle is almost easy. Although this method of entertaining is usually associated with attending an event and taking place in a parking lot, it can also be the main theme for a party.

Trends, Tips & Twists:

**Any menu can be served but the traditional fare is outdoor grill and barbecue meals with accompanying dishes. A pig roast is a great 'porking' (I mean parking) lot activity for tailgating. However, the roasting pig must be "sat" while guests take off to enjoy the main event, then return for the feast.

**Pot-luck tactic is commonly used in order to share the work and expense of the party by a large group. Specific vehicles are assigned as special stations and guests distribute their item to the appropriate site. For example: Ice and pop; cold salads; rolls, breads and buns; desserts; liquor station; serving utensils and supplies. Guests move from station to station, collecting their meals. This circulating is a good tactic especially for guests at spectator events who will soon be sitting for hours--only standing up to do the WAVE!

**Lawn chair seating and TV tray/lap dining is the mode of the day with folding tables, in addition to tailgates, holding the buffet.

**Activities such as running a betting pool for games, Frisbee tossing, portable TV watching, music and dancing to live or recorded music, keep the tailgaters busy. Try a game of Tailgating Trivia, (any song, book or television program titles that include the words "tail" or "gate"). You can also create a game of Pin the Tail on the Gate using team logos or photos of a GOH (Guest of Honor) on circles of paper making the 'tails' and a target of a star or "X" painted somewhere on the vehicle. Blindfolded guests give it a try for prizes.

Ultimate prize:

***Watch the Super Bowl live in Detroit and enjoy the party in person***

**If planned for a GOH, the giving of gifts can be produced as a progressive activity, moving from tailgate to tailgate to collect gifts with a humorous mini-ceremony at each stop. For an avid sports-fan you might arrange that each gift is a piece of wearing apparel with the team logo. After the GOH opens each gift he/she dons it.

**For evening events, hang strings of battery operated lights to decorate the tailgate.

**Conduct a "Trim the Tailgate" contest during the holidays, organize a parade in your neighborhood, present awards and crown royalty.

Read all about Pick A Party here

Learn the true art of tailgating from the man who has more experience on and off the gridiron than any armchair quarterback with John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating book

Another fine book for hosts planning a party for Superbowl game day or any other festive occasion. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Throwing a Great Party by Phyllis Cambria and Patty Sachs

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