What I Learned From Tailgating in America During Football Season
A gathering spot for giant engines and loads of food
I went to a tailgate party for the first time a few weeks ago.
It was fun. The food was amazing, and I got to see a new part of American culture I simply haven’t seen before. I made a handful of observations I’m planning on highlighting, but first, let me explain what exactly this kind of tailgating is all about.
The short version
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a tailgate party is a social event held around the open tailgate of a car. Tailgating, which primarily takes place in the United States and Canada, usually involves drinking beer and grilling food.
Lots of it.
The parties are held on parking lots or open fields around stadiums and arenas, before football games, festivals, and sometimes concerts.
Although cooking in and around sporting events has been fairly common since the nineteenth century, the modern phenomenon of tailgating truly took off in the early 1970s at college football games and later became popular at professional football and other sporting events.
According to National Today, Nearly 80% of the population in the United States tailgates from time to time, the majority of them being between the ages of 25 to 44. I happen to fall into that age group, too.
There’s even a day dedicated to tailgating, the first Saturday in September.
The signs
I remember when I was a newbie in the United States, spotting signs along the road saying “No Tailgating”. Have you seen those?
I asked my husband what on earth tailgating is, and he explained it to me.
“But why would people barbecue around their cars?” I asked.
It made no sense to me.
Little did I know.
Tailgating is not just any get-together or social event. It is a specific gathering, celebrating sports, food, and community. If you’re in the Northeast, there’s also that crisp air and all the good fall vibes.
People love it.
The first thing I noticed as we parked our car around 9 am on a Saturday morning to tailgate before a college football game, is that we were late-ish to the show.
I thought we would be one of the first ones there. The football game we had tickets to didn’t start until noon.
It’s never too early for burgers and beer
People had their stuff ready, canopy tents covered with logos of their football team. The grill was on and the food was being enjoyed. Mostly burgers and hot dogs.
And the beer. People were going at it. There was music, so lively.
People brought corn hole games and footballs, beer pong games, you name it. At the time I usually have my breakfast, I ate a burger with pickles and maple bourbon barbecue sauce.
I couldn’t with the beer, though. Alcohol has always been a night thing for me. I had a coke with caffeine in it.
Statement equipment
Your camping chair and equipment show how active you are when it comes to tailgating. Do you get the ins and outs of it?
Those who are what I call professional tailgaters have fancy, comfortable chairs, some with a swing-hammock-style feature.
Their equipment also shows who their team is. They take pride in it.
Where I live, it’s usually The Eagles, Steelers, or Penn State. Locals can’t stand the teams from Iowa, Michigan, or Ohio. From the tailgating spot, this was very easy to tell.
As first-timers, we had our $10 camping chairs without any logos. I’m guessing it was clear as day for people around us that we were not regulars in this kind of scene.
I was never exposed to tailgating or this part of football fascination when we lived in the NYC area, so I’m learning and taking it all in as I go.
Parents are welcome
I noticed a ton of parents hanging out with their kids, now students.
For a college football game, you’ll find plenty of students tailgating. If there is any time they get along with their parents, it’s at a tailgate party.
Why?
Parents have all the good food and as a poor student, a home-cooked meal or a perfectly made quality burger beats everything. It was fun to observe parents and their kids have a great time together; parents thrilled to visit their kids’ campus and be part of it all.
Personally, it made me mentally fast-forward my life — thinking ahead. As a mom of three American football-obsessed boys, odds are this is not the last time I’m tailgating.
Might as well get that camping chair with a New York Giants logo on it. That’s my team.
The best car on the lot
Is obviously a pickup truck.
The cars with giant engines and lots of trunk space got admirable looks from tailgaters as they were parking. Our car, not so much.
I have never seen as many pickup trucks in one place as I did during our tailgating event. Plenty of one of America’s bestsellers, Ford’s F-Series. Side note: If all the F-Series ever sold were parked back-to-back, the line of trucks would circle the earth three times.
During fall weekends, many of them are busy tailgating.
There are a ton of trucks in the United States, although I never seemed to notice them when we lived in a more urban environment. These days, they’re all over the place.
Especially during football season.
The quickest takeaway you’ll ever get:
Tailgating = friends & family, food, beer, trucks, sports.