One of the best things about the fall is the start of football season. Every Sunday tens of thousands of people gather in the parking lots of their favorite teams' arenas and host tailgate parties for their friends and family.
If you want to host an epic tailgate but don't have any previous experience, then these tips will make your first attempt a success.
Tip: Bring Plenty of Comfortable Chairs
While you can hang out on the tailgate of your truck or sit on a blanket on the ground, you will enjoy your tailgating experience a whole lot more if everyone has a comfortable place to sit.
Bring along a comfortable chair for each person attending your gathering. And, yes, this includes chairs for each one of your kids so they can be comfortable as well. After all, uncomfortable kids mean whining and complaining instead of fun times building memories as a family.
Tip: Pre-Cook Chicken Before You BBQ It
Even for the most skilled cooks, it is very hard to BBQ chicken in such a way that it isn't burned like charcoal on the outside and pink and bloody on the inside.
Since consuming undercooked chicken can lead to food poisoning and make everyone who eats it miserable, you need to ensure it's well cooked if you choose to serve chicken at your party.
The easiest way to do so is to bake your chicken in the oven and then put it in the cooler before you get to the tailgate. Once you are on-site, then take the chicken from the cooler and cook it on the BBQ to give it a nice flavor and crunchy exterior.
If you will be making spareribs or tri-tip steak, you can also pre-bake those as well so they don't take as long to cook.
Tip: Book a VIP Tailgate Experience and Let Someone Else Do All of the Hard Work
Finally, if you love to tailgate but don't like shopping, cooking, packing the cooler, and all the stress of making sure you bring along everything that everyone wants for the party, then consider booking a VIP tailgating experience. These professionally organized events allow you to simply bring your family to the arena and your seats, food, and drinks will all be taken care of for you. In addition, some packages will even give the opportunity to meet some of the players or other celebrities.
