Hosting a tailgate party at home? With the right food, festive decorations, and plenty of seating for guests, you can host the ultimate tailgate without having to go to the stadium. Here are 17 homegating ideas for your next game day party!
Set Up Your At-Home Tailgate
Whether you want to host a watch party indoors or out in the yard, the right atmosphere is key to making game day fun and comfortable for your guests. From decor to seating, here’s how to create a tailgating setup that brings the excitement of the stadium right to your home.
Get Your Outdoor Space Ready
Watching the game outdoors more closely resembles the stadium experience and provides space for people to move around and engage in activities. If you have an outdoor living room, that’s often the best place to host your watch party. You can also turn a patio or deck into the ultimate outdoor party spot with some weatherproof couches, decorative lighting, a few tables, and a flatscreen TV.
Have Backup Homegating Setups in Mind
One of the great things about sports is that they’re played all year long in all kinds of weather—which could impact your backyard tailgate plans. If the forecast calls for snow, rain, or freezing temperatures, you need to be ready to pivot. Consider covered patio options like outdoor canopies, or move your car into the driveway so you can easily shift to a garage tailgate party. Having outdoor heaters on hand or providing seating near a fire pit are other great ways to keep guests warm. Or, if you already prepared your indoor space for a party, then moving everybody inside should be a breeze!
Create an Indoor Tailgate
If you want to beat the heat or the cold, opt for an indoor tailgate party! It may not have the same “tailgating” vibe, but hosting a watch party indoors allows you to control the environment and makes for a more intimate get-together. Set up a viewing spot for watching the game, a social space where guests can go and chat, and a food area where you can put out all of your game day dishes. Breaking up these spaces is a great way to prevent overcrowding and keep your indoor watch party organized!
Set the Mood with Game Day Decor
Get everyone pumped for the big game by decorating your home with balloons, tablecloths, and flags in the colors of your favorite team! Local stores may even sell tableware and napkins with your team’s colors and logos. If you don’t want team-specific decorations, opt for more general sports-themed items, like yellow “penalty flag” napkins or a snack stadium. For a budget-friendly option, try making DIY party decorations to give your watch party a personal touch.
Gather Essential Watch Party Supplies
Create a watch party checklist to ensure you have enough serving bowls, trays, utensils, napkins, and trash bags on hand. You’ll also want some coolers to hold ice and cans, while beverage pitchers are great for batched drinks. Serving food buffet-style? Don’t forget about homegating essentials like slow cookers and food warmers, which will help keep wings, sliders, and dips at the perfect temperature all day long. If you don’t already own these game day party supplies, you may need to rent them—or ask family or friends if you can borrow theirs.
Set Up the TV
If you’re going to be watching the game outside, having the right gear is crucial. Standard indoor TVs aren’t always suited to backyard tailgate setups—sunlight can make the screen difficult to see, while heat, moisture, and other weather conditions can damage the television over time. That said, be sure to prep your patio by investing in an outdoor TV or a high-quality portable projector for better visibility and a smoother viewing experience. If you’re having a sports watch party indoors, just make sure your TV is set up and ready to go. If guests will be roaming from room to room, consider turning on all the TVs in your home—from the man cave to the kitchen—so no one misses any of the action.
Install a Sound System
Sound is one of the most important aspects of the sports viewing experience. Replicate the high-energy environment of the crowd at your home tailgate party by setting up a quality sound system so all your guests can stay caught up on the action—whether they’re grabbing a bite in your outdoor kitchen or playing a round of cornhole.
Make Sure You Have Enough Seats
The last thing you want is for your tailgate party to be too small to accommodate guests. Everyone should have a comfortable place to sit. Try grouping a couch or futon with a few chairs to create viewing areas. Sprinkle in some floor cushions, stools, and folding chairs, or ask guests to bring their own lawn chairs along for additional seating. As you set up seating areas, be sure tables or other flat surfaces are nearby so guests have a convenient spot to set their food and drinks.
Have Yard Games Available
Add some excitement to your homegating party by incorporating tailgate games like cornhole, ladder toss, and horseshoes! These are great for filling time during the pregame, commercial breaks, and halftime. You can even try setting up a mini-tournament to really get guests involved! Backyard party games can also give kids something to do if they aren’t interested in watching the game.
Consider Game Day Activities for Kids
As a host, you should find ways to entertain everyone at your tailgate—including children! Providing a craft to work on or a playroom to hang out in while the adults watch the game is a perfect way to keep everyone at the party happy. If you have a lot of guests coming, you could even consider renting a bounce house for your backyard.
Draft the Perfect Tailgate Menu
No tailgate is complete without delicious food and refreshing beverages! Whether you need inspiration for snacks, desserts, or drinks, here are the best tips for creating a tailgate menu that satisfies everyone.
Plan Good Tailgate Food
One of the best parts about tailgating is the food, and you have a lot more cooking options when you tailgate at home since the kitchen is right there! Start with a solid game plan by locking in your headcount a few days early so you have a better estimate of how much food to buy. You can’t go wrong with classic cookout foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats on the grill. Allow your guests to customize their meal with a nacho, taco, or chili bar. Or break out the crockpot and take your game day food to the next level with meatballs or pulled pork. Just keep the golden rule of hosting in mind—it’s better to have leftovers to share than to run out at halftime!
Include Side Dishes
While the main dish is the star, sides and appetizers are essential to any tailgating spread. Fans want game day snacks they can easily get more of between plays or during commercials. Since you’re tailgating at home, you can break out the frozen snacks and heat them up in the microwave for yummy appetizers in a hurry. Store-bought favorites like veggie trays, chips and salsa, and charcuterie boards will do the trick, too—but don’t be afraid to make your own. Simple tailgate recipes like bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers and buffalo chicken dip are sure to wow the crowd!
Prep Food Before Guests Arrive
It’s always wise to prepare the menu as early as possible! Prep the most time-consuming dishes before the party starts, then rely on a crockpot or your oven’s “warm” setting to keep them at the right temperature. Having tailgate food ready to eat or to heat up before your guests arrive is a home tailgating hack that cuts down on meal prep during the main event. This will make your party more enjoyable for both you and your guests.
Let Someone Else Do the Cooking
Don’t feel like preparing an entire spread after planning a tailgating party? Get your hands on some easy tailgate food by ordering trays of BBQ, chicken wings, or fried chicken from a local restaurant. Not only does this save you energy when preparing for your party, but it also allows you to pay full attention to your guests and the game itself. As an added bonus, ordering catered food reduces the number of dishes and cooking mess you have to deal with when everyone goes home!
Host a Game Day Potluck
Another way to make game day meal prep easy is by turning your homegate into a team effort with a potluck! Assign dishes to family and friends, or create a shared online document where guests can sign up to bring different items. Consider providing the main course while your guests bring supplementary items like appetizers, desserts, and drinks. You could even turn your potluck into a competition by hosting a chili cook-off or a pie-baking contest!
Bake Some Tailgate Desserts
Get creative and bake a cake, cookies, or cupcakes themed with team-colors to provide sweet treats to all of your guests. One big advantage of a home tailgate is that you have plenty of space to prepare and serve food, as well as access to an oven for any baking needs. That said, it’s best to bake desserts the night before so they have time to completely cool before decorating—and to lessen the load of items going in and out of the oven on game day. Make sure to bake enough treats for the whole crowd, and consider setting them up in an elaborate display!
Provide Refreshments
What’s a backyard tailgate without some drinks? Supplying water, lemonade, and iced tea is a great way to keep guests of all ages refreshed. As for adult beverages, you can fill coolers with your favorite beers, create themed game day cocktails, or operate under the classic “BYOB” policy. If the weather is going to be cooler, try making some warm drinks like hot chocolate, coffee, or even spiked cider to help keep your guests warm.
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