How To Tailgate

Tailgating is a very popular event in America that happens before sporting events where you can have a great time with your friends and family. It takes place in a parking lot outside the stadium a few hours before the game starts. Ten or fifteen minutes left until the game starts, you should put everything back in your car and start heading into the stadium. The reason why everyone tailgates is to get pumped up before the game and have a great time. The most important thing is make sure you have fun and enjoy the whole experience, but come prepared.

When you are tailgating, make sure you have a plan and have a list with you. First, which is the most important, make sure you pack your foods and drinks. You want to make sure to have food that you need or could cook on the grill or have pre-cooked to reheat. In order to cook your foods, I recommend a small grill that is portable that is easy to travel with so you can cook whatever you for your family and friends. Second, bring a cooler with you to keep all the drinks cold and maybe some food that you need to be cold. Third, bring one or two square folding tables with you so you can put all the food and drinks on them. Fourth, you have to bring paper or plastic plates, knives, cups, spoons, forks, and either napkins or paper towels to put out on the table. If you want to, you can bring a tent in case of rain or really hot weather. My final suggestion would be to bring games such as Corn Hole, Kan Jam, Ladder ball, Spike ball, and a baseball or football to play catch.  These are all the materials that you need to make sure everyone is having a blast.

It is time to learn how to start setting up for your awesome tailgate. First, if you brought a tent with you, you should put it near your car because you don’t want to block the road or the parking spot next to you. Second, after you are all done setting up the tent, start putting one or two folded tables under it and then put all the foods and drinks on top of the table. Then, the third thing is to begin putting all the paper or plastic spoons, cups, knives, forts, and either napkins or paper towels on the table. Fourth, place the cooler near the table but make sure there is lots of ice in it to keep the drinks cold. If you bring a grill, place it away from the cars so the cars won’t catch on fire. Last, but not least, any games that you bring, can be played in an open area away from the grill and cars. Hopefully, my steps will help teach you how to set up for a tailgate and have a great time.

My last few instructions are how to pack up when there are only 10 or 15 minutes left until the game starts. First, make sure the grill is off and cool before you put it back into your car. While you are waiting for the grill to cool, throw all the garbage in the trash and put all the games or balls that you brought back into the car. Then, place any dirty utensils in their own bag to wash later when you get home. Take down the tent and throw it in the car along with the tables. Before you put away the cooler, make sure you dump the melted ice out onto the ground and keep the rest of the ice to keep any leftovers cold. Last thing, is that once the grill is cooled off, pack it away in the car. All the hard work is done, and it is time to go watch the game and enjoy your team.

If you follow the whole process correctly, it should look like you are having a party in your backyard. Hopefully, my teaching helped you learn how to tailgate so next time you will know what to do, and it will be easier and quicker for you.