Tailgate season in the Midwest can be defined as any month between January and December of a given year. Peak pre-game however starts in spring, when parking lots open their gates and pickups drop their tailgates. Winter play-off football, church Christmas services, and children’s show choir performances notwithstanding, the warmer pre-parties of baseball and football season are professional grade, and we’re getting our festivity kits ready with the following helpful checklist.
Staying Fueled
You’re not getting through the day without sustenance, so pack well, and don’t forget the periphery needs. You may not need a fork for your brat, but you’ll definitely need napkins, and if you’re smart, you’ll need horseradish. A car bumper is nowhere anyone wants to dress their burger, so bring a workspace to lay out your condiments. And make your chef happy with all the necessary hardware. If there’s anyone to please, it’s whomever is turning the meats.
☐Dinnerware – plates/bowls, eating and serving utensils, napkins, disposable cups, koozies, servings dishes
☐Cookware – grill, charcoal & lighter fluid/propane tank (+1 spare), pans, foil, oven mitts, grill brush, spatulas
☐Main entrees, side dishes, snacks, desserts, condiments, soda, water bottles, canned spirits, kid-friendly drinks
☐Coolers and ice
☐Folding tables
☐Optional upgrade: a fully catered tailgate, from set-up to clean-up with All Occasions Catering
Comforts of Home
To attend any sporting event from your sofa is to do so in sweatpants, while intermittently “resting your eyes.” But the parking lot in the Midwest is its own gridiron of fluctuating temperatures and all definitions of precipitation. Party comfortably despite rain, snow, and suffocating humidity with the following tenets of coziness.
☐Folding chairs, one per attendee +2 for unexpected guests
☐Easy-up tent/umbrellas, handheld or free-standing
☐Blankets
☐Optional upgrade: industrial fan or outdoor heater, extra-long extension cords/generator
The Warm-Up Act
You showed up at dawn to get a good spot. The grounds crew isn’t even out of bed yet. The game is seven hours away. You can’t nap in your hatchback all day. What are you going to do with yourself? Pump up your crew, make friends with your neighbors, and extend your fun using these tried and true entertaining essentials.
☐Music – extra-vehicular speaker/boom box to save on battery
☐Playlist or CD carousel. Avoid offensive or divisive tracks. Keep the vibe friendly.
☐Games – Bags/Cornhole set-up(s), Ladder Golf
☐Kid-friendly Activities – footballs/baseballs to toss, sidewalk chalk
☐Folding table for Flip-Cup, Beer Pong, red disposable cups, ping pong ball
☐Optional upgrade: karaoke machine, Giant Jenga
And Then a Hero Comes Along
If you’re the sort of the person to seek out a tailgate checklist in the first place, one has to imagine you’re the general lifesaver of your crew. You tend to plan the road trips, have a Halloween costume planned months in advance, and when a neighbor needs to borrow a ladder, you ask “what size?” and hold it steady for him. This is your wheelhouse, so it only goes to follow you’re the person who thinks of the stuff everyone else wishes they’d brought. Here, the details that make the difference.
☐Heat retaining thermos filled with coffee, cups, cream and sugar
☐Bottle openers
☐Trash bags, one bag labeled “Recycling”
☐Gallon jugs of water, hand sanitizer, paper towels
☐Ice – so commonly forgotten, we’re listing it twice on the checklist
☐Heat safe pail for used charcoal
☐Sunblock
☐First aid kit, antacid, pain reliever
☐Clear purse/bag for easy stadium entry
Represent!
Whether you’re tailgating your preferred NFL team, your kid’s high school swim meet, or the grand opening of a Kwik Trip, it’s important everyone in the parking lot know who you’re there to see. So don’t forget your flair, and remember there is no limit to the amount or method of displaying your team pride.
☐Themed flags and banners
☐Team apparel
☐Rally signs and pom-poms
☐Window chalk markers and streamers for your vehicle
☐Download of team fight songs