How to Host A Football Tailgate Party At Home
We’re mid-football season and the games are spicing up! With bowl games starting soon, have you planned how you’re going to watch the game? If you’re not attending in person, you might be interested in throwing a tailgate party at home! Check out these tips and inspiration for throwing a tailgate party that scores with your guests!
Why Host A Tailgate Party At Home?
There are plenty of reasons to host your football tailgate at home this season, whether you’re looking to stay safe and healthy away from crowds or keep your budget low and the fun high. Whatever your reasons, we’re going to give you some tips to make your at-home tailgate equally as fun — if not even more fun — than going to campus or to the stadium.
Benefits of a Football Tailgate at Home
- Keep your tailgating expenses lower
- Eliminate sitting in traffic or walking miles to the stadium
- Minimize tantrums from a long day without a nap (and we’re not just talking about the kids)
- Worry less about the weather and avoid sunburn (or frostbite)
- Access food and amenities with ease (as well as bathrooms!)
- Enjoy close-ups, commentary, and replays during the game
- Wake up at your leisure— no need to be up at 3 AM to get to the stadium in time for early tailgating and a good parking spot
Home Tailgate Party Ideas
1. Keep Décor Simple
The décor of your tailgate doesn’t have to be fancy. Make the event feel like a real football tailgate, only… in your backyard or living room. Plastic tablecloths and disposable plates, silverware, and napkins (with your team’s colors) make it easy to clean up at the end of the day. If you want to go big, you can even make signs or balloon banners to cheer on your team. Even the smallest details, like team-colored cardboard cut into confetti, can make your tailgate décor pop.
You may also want to purchase an outdoor tent so you can bring the party outside and away from rain or other elements. Don’t forget to put out some comfortable chairs, blankets if it’s cold, and tables where people can put down their drinks and food while playing games and socializing.
2. Serve Delicious Food
Food is everyone’s favorite part of tailgating, right? We recommend making your tailgate menu as buffet-style as possible, so you can set it up, throw it on the grill, and let people grab things as they want.
Grilling is our absolute favorite way to prepare home tailgate foods. There’s nothing quite as delicious and reminiscent of the big game as lighting charcoal and smelling savory scents of food in the air. Even thinking about it is getting us excited for the fall!
Here are some of our favorite home tailgate foods.
Appetizers/Snacks
- Bacon and blue cheese pigs in a blanket (the caramelized brown sugar makes these dogs really stand out for tailgaters)
- Bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers (because you can never go wrong with bacon)
- Turkey pepper jack roll ups
- Beef nacho casserole (this is a home tailgate must-have, trust us)
- Baked Potato cups
- Grilled mango-corn salsa
Main Course
- Burgers (this is the easiest home tailgate food because you just have to cook the burgers, set out some buns and toppings, and everyone can make their own)
- Pulled pork sandwiches
- Grilled cheese
- Grilled brats with sriracha mayo
- Hawaiian chicken (put grilled chicken bites on skewers with grilled pineapple for the ultimate crowd pleaser)
- Lots of serve-yourself sides like grilled eggplant, fruit, onion, peppers, corn on the cob, and easy salads;
- Don’t forget some kid-friendly foods too!
Dessert
- Caramel S’mores (on the grill!)
- Grilled summer fruit skewers (grilled fruit is sweet, healthy, and unexpectedly delicious)
- Football whoopie pies
- Cookie dough football dip
Pro-Tip: Use toothpicks with tiny paper cut-outs to label menu items. This can help people figure out what they’re eating, and they can be aware of any food allergies or sensitivities as well. Plus, it’s an easy detail that will really wow your guests!
3. Show Your Spirit
Throw on your favorite player’s jersey and get dressed up for the game like you normally would! If you’re hosting the tailgate party, you may also want to offer spirited items up-for-grabs like stickers, tattoos, team flags, buttons, foam fingers, and other little accessories. The more spirit, the better the party!
One of our favorite home tailgate party ideas is to create a “grab bag” of spirited goods… Whenever someone wins a tailgate game, let them pick a surprise gift as a prize!
5. Watch the Game From Anywhere
Every TV in the house is playing the game, right? If not, turn ‘em on! You may also want to bring the game outside if you’re playing games and grilling in the yard. Thankfully, at home, you can still easily connect to your cable or WiFi outdoors. You’ll just need to create a good outdoor electronics setup. We recommend purchasing an outdoor television (which is more durable and weather-resistant), an extension cord or power cable, and a portable electronics cart.
6. Fill the Air With Music
Fill your tailgate’s air with grill smoke and music. It doesn’t matter what you put on, as long as it’s upbeat and fun. We recommend purchasing waterproof outdoor speakers you can use to bump your tunes and connect to your TV to blast the game after kickoff.
7. Start a Little Competition
Get in the spirit of the game with some competitive activities. Some of our favorite home tailgating games include:
- Horseshoes
- Cornhole toss
- Giant Jenga
- Lawn bowling
- Ladderball
- Bucket ball
- Quarterback challenge
- Game day bingo
- Lawn darts
You can even get some little prizes, like a team hat or jersey, to give out for winners. A prize or two makes games extra competitive and fun.
Your Home Football Tailgate Awaits
Hosting a football tailgate at home doesn’t have to be hard. You can keep it simple or make it extravagant. However the wind blows you, make sure you make memories this tailgating season!
Last but Not Least
You shouldn’t have to worry about your home’s heating and cooling system going haywire during the big game day, especially if you have guests over! Give Sleeping Giant a call or shoot us an email to schedule your home’s HVAC maintenance visit or to have HVAC repairs performed. Feel free to give us a call at (256) 378-6556 or visit our website at https://sleepinggiantair.com/.
We are your locally owned American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning Customer Care Dealer in Childersburg, AL, and we can help you find the perfect solution for any home comfort issues. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more helpful tips. football tailgate party football tailgate party football tailgate party football tailgate party football tailgate party football tailgate party
