Backyard Tailgate Party Ideas
Fall is the perfect time to use your outdoor space and enjoy all of the hard work you put into it all summer. And fall also means it’s football season. Football is the perfect excuse to host friends and family and simulating the big tailgate in your outdoor space is the perfect way to bring the indoors out while the weather is still nice.
Consider these ideas from invites to food while you plan your backyard tailgate party.
Invites
If you want to go old school with your invites and actually send them in the mail consider creating a ticket to your tailgate party and sending that to your guests. Mimic the ticket of your favorite college or pro team and get creative?
Another creative idea is to create a custom cardboard coaster with your teams logo and the party details. You can have someone make them for you or get blank coasters and get creative. Create a stamp with your event details or grab a set of your team’s stickers to decorate them before throwing them in the mail.
Set-Up The Tailgate
Up next figure out your decorations. There a ton of football themed flags and banner available on-line or at a party store. String pennant flags overhead or grab a football field table covering. Make sure to have football themed cups and plates and find koozies for cans and bottles from your favorite team as well.
Find football themed servers and platters and consider these blow-up helmets for added flair!
Audio and Visual Set-Up
Now your either going to want to move a TV outside or set-up an outdoor movie theater for your backyard tailgate. If moving the TV, a kitchen cart on casters makes a great makeshift stand just make sure it is close enough to a power outlet to plug it in.
If you want to really impress your guests consider buying or renting a projector and screen to watch the game on the big screen. There are projector and screen combo’s for well under $500 these days plus you can host a backyard movie party for your next gathering!
Speakers
Some guests will obviously want to mingle and chat during the game, but hardcore fans are going to want to be able to hear the game. TV’s and Projectors not as loud as you think they are once you bring them outside so consider a Bluetooth speaker or outdoor speakers to amplify the action.
Seating
Make sure to have plenty of seating in addition to your outdoor furniture. Create stadium seating with bean bag chairs in front and regular chairs behind.
If you are really trying to impress consider renting actual bleachers.
Food
When it comes to food for bac
kyard tailgate parties think stadium favorites. Grill up hot dogs or take it a step further with an old fashion hot dog roller. Pick up these paper hot dog wrappers to add to the stadium experience.
Soft pretzels are a stadium staple as well as pizza. Consider throwing a pizza stone on the grill or check out these gas pizza ovens. Wrap them in the authentic style paper wrappers for true stadium feel.
Bring the crock pot outside and make a chili that guests can nosh on and consider food stations. A build your own burger station is always a hit.
BBQ is always a hit, especially on a cool fall day. Pick up a smoker grill and slow cook ribs and brisket.
Make individual seven layer dip in plastic cups ahead of time for an instant unique appetizer.
For a unique dessert idea that both kids and adults will love, make smores! Check out all of the ways to make s’mores outside!
Keep the drinks cold! Make sure to have plenty of coolers stationed around the yard or consider an outdoor beverage cart to really impress!
Backyard games are always a must at tailgates so pick up a corn hole set with your favorite team’s logo or check out even more unique backyard games.
If the weather is chilly make sure to have some extra sweatshirts and jackets on hand or pick up a blanket with your teams logo on it. To really turn up the heat consider a patio heater or fire pit that guests can gather around for when the weather really starts to get cold.
