6 Ways to Tailgate in Style This Fall

Fall is coming, which means it’s also game time! If you’re a huge football fan, you know what we’re talking about! Tailgating at fall football games is a rite of passage. It can be something you do with a crowd of friends, a family event or something you like to do with a small group. No matter how you tailgate, there are a few items you need to have to truly enjoy yourself. Making sure your drinks are cold, your food is cooked, and you can sit in comfort are all important. Let’s dive in and talk about how you can tailgate in style this year!

When you’re tailgating, you’re at the mercy of the elements. It might be way too hot or way too cold. Usually, though, it’s pretty toasty out. So, making sure you’re staying hydrated is a must. Plus, half of the fun of tailgating is the drinks, right? No one wants to reach for a lukewarm can of beer or soda—it’s not refreshing. So, make sure your drinks are ice-cold and ready to party with a cool bar. 

Cool bars come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Another great feature of cool bars, like the Classic Cool Bar, is that it can be a pop-up table as well. The cooler is built in underneath, and you can put your drinks right on top. No spilling or mess. Just cool drinks and fun before the big game.

As mentioned, you’re at the mercy of the elements when you’re tailgating. The sun, wind and rain can be intense in the fall. So, make sure you bring along some kind of coverage for your tailgating space. You can always utilize a large umbrella for a small group of people. However, if you need bigger space coverage, you’re better off with a pop-up canopy. If you have an even bigger group, you might need more than one pop-up canopy! Get one in your team’s color, and celebrate in style—and out of direct sunlight or rain.

You can always just bring prepared food with you, but what’s the fun in that? Half of the fun of tailgating is grilling up your food to enjoy with friends and family. You could haul your huge backyard grill with you, but this can take up quite a bit of space and be a pain. So, grab a travel or camping grill. Most camping grills run on propane and fold up for ease of travel. They’re also a great addition to your camping gear when you’re not tailgating! Don’t forget to bring sturdy plates, utensils and napkins. After all, if you forget these, you’ll have to find a way to eat your meal without them—which can get messy and be a bit gross.

Don’t forget about comfortable seating! You need a place to sit, relax and enjoy your tailgate barbecue! Some people love the convenience, ease and versatility of camping chairs for tailgating. However, if you want to be even more comfortable, try an Adirondack chair. While they don’t fold up like a camping chair, they stack easily and come in many different styles and colors.

If you’re looking for something casual but comfortable, try the classic Tahoe Adirondack. The great thing about using these chairs to tailgate is that they look so good, you can take them home afterwards and use them on your porch. They look beautiful, are comfortable and are weather-proof. So, they don’t need to be stored inside. If you’re looking to have less stuff around, these are great multi-purpose chairs that you’ll be proud to have outside your home or tailgating at the stadium.

While you can use your pop-up cool bar for drinks and smaller groups of people, if you have several people tailgating with you, you’ll want to bring along a bigger table. You can get smaller tailgating tables that fold up into a bag, or you can get a large rectangular table for a crowd. While some people will be content with holding their plates in their lap or hands, it can be much easier and more enjoyable if you bring a table. Plus, no one wants to have to put their plate down on the parking lot asphalt. Yuck!

It’s a huge pain when you’re excited to tailgate and you don’t know where any of your stuff is stored. You don’t want to spend time hunting through your garage or having things falling all over the place because you don’t have a dedicated spot for your tailgating items. So, for ease of tailgating and not needing to plan extra time to dig all of your gear out of the garage, have dedicated storage space for all of your items. 

One way to do this is by having a clean garage space. Having a small or large garden shed to store items can take so much pressure off your garage. Items like patio furniture, tools, yard equipment, bikes and more will fit easily into a shed and allow you to use your garage for what it was intended to do—store your cars and motorized vehicles. You can make a dedicated space in your shed for all of your tailgating gear, so it’s easy to find and load up when it’s time to roll out to the game.

Tailgate in style by bringing along all of these items as well as food, a cooler, drinks and your favorite jersey! Making a checklist to remember all of your favorite tailgating items might be a good idea, too. You can’t just easily run home and get things once you’re parked. So, tailgate in style and comfort this fall with your friends and family.