Tailgate Checklist: How to Tailgate Before the Big Game

Tailgating is the pre-game ritual of gathering in the stadium parking lot to cook, eat and share the build-up with other fans, usually from the open back of a car or truck. To tailgate well you need three things: the venue's rules in hand, a packed checklist, and a plan for cleaning up before you head inside.

The list below covers all three, grouped so you can tick it off while loading the car.

Check the venue rules first

Every stadium and lot sets its own policies, and they change from season to season. Before game day, look up:

• When the lots open and whether you must leave your spot once the game begins.
• Whether grills and open flames are allowed, and which fuel types.
• Rules on alcohol, glass bottles and amplified music.
• How much space each vehicle is allowed, including room for a canopy.
• Where hot coals and trash are meant to go.

The tailgate checklist

Setup

• Pop-up canopy with weights or stakes
• Folding table and a tablecloth with clips
• Folding chairs, one per person
• Two trash bags: one for rubbish, one for recycling
• Paper towels, wet wipes and hand sanitizer

Cooking

• Portable grill and enough fuel or charcoal
• Lighter or matches
• Long tongs, spatula and heat-resistant gloves
• Meat thermometer
• Foil, a cutting board and a sharp knife in a sheath
• Separate plates for raw and cooked food
• Small fire extinguisher

Food and drink

• One cooler for food and one for drinks
• Plenty of ice and frozen water bottles
• Prepped food in labeled containers
• Water and non-alcoholic drinks for everyone
• Condiments, napkins, plates, cups and cutlery

Comfort and safety

• Sunscreen, hats and rain ponchos
• Warm layers and blankets for late-season games
• Small first-aid kit
• Portable phone charger

Game spirit

• Tickets, digital or printed, and parking pass
• Team colors and flags
• Portable speaker or radio for the pre-game shows
• Lawn games such as cornhole, ladder toss or a ball to throw

A simple game-day timeline

When	What to do
Night before	Shop, marinate meat, freeze water bottles, charge phones and speakers
Morning	Pack coolers last, straight from the fridge; load the car so the canopy and table come out first
Arrival	Put up the canopy, set the grill downwind and away from cars, lay out the table
Before entry	Stop cooking with time to spare, let the grill cool, put away food, bag the trash
After the game	Walk the spot once more so nothing is left behind

Arrive early enough to set up and eat without rushing. Popular games fill lots well ahead of kickoff, so check when your lot usually fills.

Grill and food safety

Place the grill on level ground, clear of the canopy, vehicles and walkways, and never leave it lit and unattended. Let coals cool completely and dispose of them only where the venue allows; never tip hot coals into a trash can or onto the grass.

Keep raw meat sealed at the bottom of the food cooler, use a thermometer rather than guessing, and keep cooked food off the plates that carried raw meat. In warm weather, perishable food should not sit out for more than an hour; the guide on how long food can sit out explains why. Packing the coolers well makes all of this easier, as shown in how to pack a cooler.

What to cook

The best tailgate menus are mostly prepped at home and finished on the grill: skewers, sausages, burgers, foil-packet vegetables and a pot of chili kept hot. A full set of ideas, grouped by grill, cooler and make-ahead dishes, is in tailgate food ideas.

Packing the car

Load the vehicle in reverse order of need. The canopy, table and chairs go in last so they come out first; coolers sit near the door where they are easy to lift out; the grill rides on a sheet of cardboard or an old blanket to protect the upholstery. Keep a small "first out" bag with sunscreen, hand sanitizer, a lighter and the parking pass so nothing important ends up buried under folding chairs.

After the game, the same order works in reverse. Trash bags should be tied and either taken home or dropped in the venue's bins, and the grill must be completely cold before it goes back in the car.

Tailgating with children

Families are a familiar sight in many lots, and a little extra planning keeps the day relaxed. Bring ear protection for very young children if the stadium is loud, a ball or simple game to burn off energy, and familiar snacks in case the grill menu does not appeal. Agree on a meeting point in case anyone gets separated in the crowd, and keep children well away from the grill and from moving cars.

Be a good neighbor

Part of the fun is the people around you, and match-day rituals take many forms; the energy of football supporters in Spain, described in how RCD Espanyol's fanbase brings its energy, comes from the same shared build-up. A few simple courtesies keep it friendly:

• Stay within your space and keep walkways clear.
• Keep music at a level that lets neighbors talk.
• Welcome visiting fans; rivalry is part of the day, hostility is not.
• If anyone is drinking, settle on a sober driver before you leave home.
• Leave the spot cleaner than you found it.