Your Game Day Plan!
When it comes to football tailgate parties, no one does it quite like the fans at Virginia Tech. We asked our favorite Hokies for their game day plan…
Prep
Make your party more enjoyable by preparing the food earlier in the day. Have sandwiches wrapped, veggies chopped, and dips ready to go! Pair each food item with a serving platter, so it’s quicker to set up once you arrive, and you don’t overpack or forget something!
Drinks
The night before the big game, prepare a pitcher of sangria, made with red table wine from Chateau Morrisette, a vineyard located in Floyd, Virginia. On game day, serve the sangria along with metal buckets filled with ice and your favorite frosty beverages. Sodas for the kids, white wine and beer for the adults.
Food
Keep things simple by serving finger foods—mini sandwiches, ham and cheese biscuits, sliced veggies, or chips and dips.
Cobb Salad Sandwiches
12 pack dinner rolls, sliced in half
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 lb sliced turkey
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
2 avocados, sliced
12 slices cooked bacon
4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Turn this classic salad into a mini sandwich. Assemble in order of ingredients, spooning the dressing on as the last step. To keep the sandwich tidy, wrap it in parchment paper and secure it with a piece of twine.
For dessert, order plain sugar cookies from your local bakery, then have the kiddos help decorate them with icing in your school colors.
Decorations
Head to your local college merch store to splurge on a few branded items, then round it out with serving platters, napkins, balloons, and straws in your hometown colors. Create your own hanging pendant using twine, clothes pins, and thick paper cut into triangles. In Blacksburg, Hokie fans head to the Campus Emporium to stock up on collegiate swag. They have everything— tents, blankets, chairs, clothing, even maroon and orange lawn flamingos!
Games
Bring a football to toss around, and a cornhole set to keep everyone entertained while they’re waiting for the big game to start. Cute babies and bulldogs help, too!
Don’t Forget: The Small Things!
- garbage bags
- wet wipes
- paper towels
- cork screws
- and, of course… the tickets!
Joanne McDaniel
Written on
Thanks for all these great tips for planning the perfect tailgate party. I would agree that prepping beforehand is one of the best ways to be able to enjoy your time tailgating, while still prepping food for all of your fellow fans. I would love to suggest, however, ordering food from your local Mediterranean restaurant, such as Cafesano. With snack-sized, delicious, and healthy meal items that are easy to take on the go, your prep time will be cut in half, leaving more time for celebrating. For example, Panini wraps are an excellent way to fill everyone up, while still having energy to cheer throughout the game later on, since the foods from Cafesano don’t site heavy. Thanks again for sharing and cheers to your team!