Whether you are joining any event with your closed ones or hosting a get-together party on a festive occasion, the tailgate party will be the best option for you. You will get to play and enjoy along with having a fantastic food party with everyone. In the future, you might cherish these moments and feel happy about how beautifully you spent the fun moments with your loved ones.
So if you want to have a tailgate party, you need to plan it well in advance. You also need to take care of the food and other cooking essentials apart from handling all the fun elements. In this article, we have listed seven tips that will help you to have a great tailgate party.
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Check the location details:
Before you plan for anything else, look for the site’s location where you want to have the tailgate party. Check if tailgating is allowed there and if yes, then check whether they allow using open flames or not. This will help you determine the type of food you can carry at the tailgate party.
Additionally, you should also look for the timing of the location and scheduled event to plan your party. These things will make it easy for you to decide whether you want to take the prepared food and heat it when you reach there or keep a two-three hour window for cooking your food. You can also decide the items that don’t require much time for grilling if there’s a short time frame between the opening hours and game time at the specific location.
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Plan a simple menu:
Don’t feel that everyone at the tailgate party will demand a heavy course meal as you eat in restaurants or at home. So plan for something casual such as three to four homemade dishes and then add the snacks or light food like chips and dip if required. You can also consider adding food items that are easy to eat while sitting in a lawn chair or standing up.
Moreover, look for the dishes cooked without perishable ingredients so that you can keep them for a long duration. You can also check for dishes that can be made at home and brought to the event or can be cooked directly on the grill like lobster. Remember to get the best tailgate grill so that your food gets the authentic taste even in the minimal space. Also, ensure that you keep the hot and cold foods separately and maintain their temperatures.
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Start preparations at home:
Start food preparations at home to leave some time for enjoyment at the tailgate party. Consider chopping vegetables, making dips and sauces, creating burger patties, marinating kebabs, etc., before you leave your home. Also, remember to soak your wooden skewers to avoid catching fires when you place them on the grill. Keep the cocktails ready at home so that you just have to add ice or club soda while you are at the tailgate party. Similarly, make sure to prepare other things in advance and minimize your cooking time at the event.
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Be smart with packing:
Your tailgate party will be smooth only if you pack everything properly. This is to avoid creating any mess that spoils your party mood. Upon that, you would also dislike if your food items get mixed and spoil each other’s taste. Hence, make sure you pack smartly by using resealable plastic bags and containers. For instance, use plastic bags for packing marinated meats, fruits, vegetables, sausages, frozen items, and hot dogs. Consider using the containers for items that are crushable such as sauces, salads, and dips.
Remember to use a plastic wrap if any of the bags or containers contains a loose seal. Additionally, pack the napkins, plates, utensils, and glasses in separate containers to avoid any mess at the party. Don’t forget to carry a trash can to clean up everything after the tailgate party.
Other items that you would need to pack are matches, tongs, charcoal, cooler, ice, beverages, serving spoons, and extra food such as cookies or chips. There are many other items that you can carry as per your preference, such as hand sanitizer, bottle opener, paper towels, sunscreen, bug spray, solo cups, plastic zip bags, and wet wipes.
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Maintain the temperature of food and beverages:
At tailgating, you will spend hours eating, socializing, drinking, and playing with your friends. Hence, it is necessary to keep an eye on the temperature around your food and beverages. Remember to keep the food warm and the drinks cold so that they don’t get spoiled even after sitting out for a long time. You can carry aluminum trays with lids for the food, whereas coolers and ice for the drinks.
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Make seating arrangements:
After hours of cooking, eating, and enjoyment, you and your guests would look for spots to rest for a while. Thus, consider carrying collapsible chairs or tools that are comfortable and easy to handle for outdoor activities. You can also have a customizable umbrella shade to cover yourself from the scorching sun. As these items fit into small spaces, you don’t have to worry about sacrificing your car’s storage space. You can even add decorations like balloons or banners around the venue to beautify the entire area.
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Arrange entertainment options:
If you want to create a memorable tailgate party, try to add some entertainment options such as setting up a TV or music speaker. Many attendants would be cheerful and excited before the beginning of the actual event, and hence, you will get a chance to make it a bashful event. You can create a fun-loving music list a day prior to the tailgate party so that you don’t have to keep searching for the relevant songs. Also, make arrangements for a setup where people can enjoy watching your TV or dancing on your songs before the event.
Conclusion:
You will have a joyful and memorable tailgate party if you follow all these tips. They will also help you stay away from the unnecessary mess and add an entertaining element in the party to cheer up your mood as everything will be planned well in advance.
