The Ultimate College Tailgate Party with Dr Pepper & Kingsford Charcoal #FootballFanGame
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With school starting back up means one thing… COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON! Everyone loves a good college football game. You’ve got the teams, the mascots and the bowl games. But most importantly, you’ve got the tailgates. Whether we all admit it or not, college tailgates are one of the most important parts of football game days! They bring the #FiredUpFans together for good times and good company. That being said, throwing a tailgate or watch party must be done the right way so you and your friends can celebrate your fandom in the best way possible! This guide will help you throw the best tailgate. For even more Fired Up Fan more information click here!
Game Day Tailgate Ritual
My game day ritual involves opening the tailgate of my car, making signs, getting decorations, wearing team colors and having the best snacks and drinks!
For starters: Everything you need for your watch party or tailgate can easily be found at your local Walmart. For my tailgate party, I used Walmart’s Online Grocery Pickup! If you have never used it, you should look into it. It is the easiest service to use! It is basically online shopping but for groceries. You download the Walmart Grocery app, set a pickup time and add items to your cart.
Once that is done, you check in when you are on your way to pick up your groceries and a Walmart worker meets you in the designated pick up spot with your groceries! Easy right? What is also awesome about this service is that the Grocery Pickup area is painted in bright orange so you can’t miss it. Walmart has also designated parking spots for the pick-up customers so you don’t have to park miles away! Check out your local Walmart and see if they have Grocery Pickup, you won’t be disappointed.
Anyway, shop online at Walmart for all of your tailgating needs. For example, I selected regular Dr Pepper®, Kingsford® Charcoal with Applewood, some chips, cheese cubes and several other things. Once my items were ready and I picked them up, I was ready to set up my awesome tailgate party!
Drinks
It is important to have the best snacks and drinks at your tailgate because your friends and you will definitely get hungry while celebrating your favorite team! At my tailgate, I had Dr Pepper and Diet Dr Pepper. Dr Pepper is a great drink to have at a watch party because it has a satisfying flavor to accompany your burgers and hot dogs that are fresh off the grill. Also, Dr Pepper is a must have at football tailgates because Dr Pepper has been a part of college football for over25 years! Who can pass up on a tradition like that?! The cans even have a football design on them during the football season.
Food
Once you have your favorite flavor of Dr Pepper, food is next on the list. A tailgate obviously isn’t a tailgate without grilled food! We used Kingsford Charcoal with Applewood for our charcoal grill and cooked up some delicious burgers and hotdogs. I enjoy using Kingsford Charcoal, especially at tailgates, because it is easy to light and stays lit. You don’t have to hassle with continuously relighting the charcoal. Also, with the added Applewood into the charcoal, your burgers and dogs get a little extra flavor! The charcoal is perfect for football game days. Of course with your hot dogs and hamburgers, you have to have some other items. I suggest getting chips, cheese cubes and crackers. Some other food items that you definitely can’t go wrong with at a tailgate are pasta salads, potato salads and veggies with ranch! My go-to ranch is Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressing. It isn’t watery, doesn’t have artificial flavors and has a great taste for salads and veggies. If you round up all these yummy foods and drinks, your game day tailgate will be at the ULTIMATE fandom level!
Fandom Fun
Now that we have covered the food and drinks and let’s be honest, the most important part, your ultimate tailgate needs to ooze with your fandom! For my tailgate, we snagged some decor with football fields and football plays on them. Some good items to buy would be tablecloths, cups, napkins and plates. The crew and I also made team signs and got some bead necklaces! The wilder your decorations and accessories are the more fun and exciting your tailgate party will be. Foam fingers, horns, pom poms, face paint or even face tattoos are just a few ideas of things you could add.
Entertainment
Okay, so you’ve got your Dr Pepper, your Kingsford Charcoal-grilled burgers and your team spirit displayed everywhere… the final touch to an awesome party is entertainment! Of course, you all will be preparing for the game but a great way to do that is have some yard games. We had a football and some music playing. Other options are the infamous cornhole, ladder toss, horseshoes or even frisbee. Any games to get the whole tailgate crew involved are the best games!
When preparing for a tailgate, don’t stress! They can seem like a lot to plan, especially if your football crew is huge. Just remember: Walmart Grocery Pickup is there to help! Do all your shopping online, set a pickup time, check in and snag your groceries while you’re out and about. It is easy, efficient and stress-free! Kingsford Charcoal with Applewood is the best and easiest charcoal to use; easy to light and stays lit throughout your party. Finally, decorations and entertainment are a must. Your party will reach the ultimate fandom level if you go above and beyond decorating and entertaining. Your friends love football as much as you, so why not go the extra mile and execute the best football watch party! To learn more about how you can Fire Up Your Fan Day, click here!
