Tailgating is one of America’s favorite pastimes. People tailgate for little league, tailgate for sporting events, tailgate for concerts, and people even tailgate at church events. Sometimes setting one up can seem daunting, but the ultimate tailgate is easy to plan with these short tips.
Plan Your Menu
When planning a tailgate, think about your menu. If you are outside, you don’t want to bring food that contains mayonnaise or anything else that has to be kept cold, unless you have a way to keep it cold. Also, decide if you want to bring just finger foods or if you want to bring food that is eaten with a fork or spoon.
If you are planning on bringing an item that needs to stay hot, make sure you have thought through how that deliciousness will be staying hot. Can you plug in a crockpot? Will a generator be there or will an outlet be provided? By thinking through your menu ahead of time, you’ll not only make the tailgate easier on you, but also easier on your guests who will be contributing to the fun.
Build a Checklist
Checklists will help ensure you don’t forget a necessary item. Checklists also help you think out your plan. Are you planning on setting up food on tables? Are you bringing a tent? What about places to sit? Do you need coolers of ice? All of these items can be thought out and packed if you use your checklist.
Make your list a few days before the actual event and be as inclusive as possible. Think about including utensils, cutlery, plates, napkins, hand sanitizer, table cleaner, storage bags for leftovers, ice, coolers, drinks, cups, grills, tablecloths, games, footballs, cornhole, and anything else that you could possibly need at your tailgate. This list will make the morning of your event much easier to manage and minimize some of your stress.
Invite Your Friends
As with any event, you’ll want to invite your friends a few weeks ahead of time so that they can make plans. Be sure to tell them what you are envisioning your event to be. If you have a theme (like an Oktoberfest tailgate), tell your friends so that they can plan accordingly. Also, tell them what you are bringing so items aren’t duplicated. Be sure to tell them if they need to bring their own tables and chairs as well. Facebook events, Evite, and potluck signup websites are great tools to keep your guests informed of all that you have planned, and they allow guests to connect with each other.
Find the Perfect Location
When you are picking your exact location, be sure to consider if you are close to the event and close to a bathroom. Many places where you tailgate don’t allow you to rope off your tailgate location until hours before the event. With that, it becomes hard to tell your friends exactly where you’ll be. Google pins is an invaluable tool that allows you to drop a pin at your exact tailgate location and text it, email it, or Facebook it to your friends.
Tailgating is a fun way to spend time with friends. Don’t stress about throwing the ultimate tailgate. Just follow these easy tips and the ultimate part will be covered!
Photo Credits: Unsplash
