NBA basketball is in mid-season form and tailgate parties are in full swing! If you're looking to add some excitement to your next tailgate party, why not try playing cornhole? Cornhole is a great game for all ages and can be easily set up in any parking lot. Plus, it's a lot of fun! So if you're looking to add something new to your tailgate party repertoire, give cornhole a try. You won't be disappointed!
Going to an NBA game is already a ton of fun, but tailgating before the game can be just as much fun! If you're looking to make your next tailgate even more enjoyable, here are five tips to get you started on the right track.
Bring Food That Everyone Will Enjoy
When it comes to bringing food to a tailgating party, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, you want to make sure that your food is easy to eat without needing plates or utensils. Sure, you can assign someone to bring that stuff but it's just more things to remember to buy and bring with you, and it's all kind of a big waste at the end of the day. If you've got food that doesn't require paper goods you'll enjoy the fact that you just need a napkin and your mouth.
Second, you want to choose foods that will be satisfying and filling, but won't weigh you down during the game. You're not out there on the court playing with your team, but you don't want to be sitting in your seat shifting back and forth because your belly looks like you're hiding a basketball under your shirt. Full but not bloated, that's the goal.
Finally, you want to pick items that can be easily prepared ahead of time. You may have any awesome food that you love to eat when you're watching the game at home, but if it takes a whole kitchen with appliances and gadgets to prepare, it's probably not the best tailgate-friendly item. Try and choose things that are only a few ingredients, or can be left out for a few hours without needing a heat-up or refrigeration. Something you can eat at room temp, or you can cook and consume right away.
With that in mind, here are some of the best tailgating foods for an NBA game:
Hot dogs and hamburgers are always a good choice for tailgating, as they're easy to eat and can be cooked ahead of time. A reheating on a small grill or camp stove can be all you need, but if you're bringing a cooking device you may as well cook it all fresh.
If you're looking for something a little more substantial, consider making a batch of chili or stew. If you live close to the stadium you may be able to transport it there from your house without needing to heat it up again - it may stay hot enough. Most of us have a trek to get to a stadium though, so again, you need a heat source to get that chili piping hot. But your friends will thank you with that delicious, warm food sitting in their bellies.
For something sweet, opt for classic tailgating fare like cookies or brownies. These can be easily packed up and transported, and they'll satisfy your sweet tooth without weighing you down.
Play Some Fun Tailgate Games
NBA fans love to tailgate before games, and there are a few great games that are perfect for getting the party started. One popular game is cornhole, which is a bean bag toss game that can be played with two or four people. All you need is a set of boards and some bags and you're ready to go. You can bring your full-size, regulation cornhole boards if you've got the space in your car, or they make slightly smaller versions of the game specifically for tailgating, as the smaller boards are lighter, smaller, and easier to bring with you. Maybe add some drink holders or a score keeper and let the games begin!
Another fun tailgating game is Ladder Ball, which is a competitive game that can be played with two or more people. Very similar to cornhole in the playstyle and setup, but a slightly different flavor of game. Make sure you have the room to play as throwing the bolos can be a little more unpredictable than throwing the bags used in cornhole. But these types of games are great for crowds because they're relatively quick, they're easy, and you can create tournaments or ladders among your friends to make sure everyone has a great time playing.
Finally, who could forget about KanJam? This frisbee game is perfect for tailgaters and can be played with two or four people. Another similar game as it's team vs team, but this one is the most compact and portable and requires the least amount of space during transport. Now, frisbees can be fly anywhere if you're not good at throwing them, so again, make sure you have the necessary space to play without hitting other people around you. But if you and your friends can reliably throw a frisbee without causing injury to innocent bystanders, KanJam is one of the best tailgating games (if it's not too windy out!).
So if you're looking for some great tailgating games to play at your next NBA game, be sure to check out cornhole, Ladder Ball, and KanJam.
Make Sure You Have Enough Drinks
This one is important! No one wants to be the person who runs out of drinks midway through the tailgate, so make sure you bring enough for everyone. Typically it's a good idea to assign everyone to bring their own drinks, or bring something for yourself and something for the group. This way you're sure to have a variety of drinks and it's not let up to just one person to bring drinks for everyone.
Water is always a good option, and it's always smart to have a small cooler dedicated to just water. It's important to stay hydrated in general, and certainly while you're drinking alcohol too, but when you're tailgating you don't have access to a sink like you would at a house party. So your water can be used to clean up spills, wash off dirty hands, etc.
If you're looking to add some extra fun to the tailgate, feel free to bring along some beer or other alcoholic beverages as well. Everyone loves some cheap, light beer to use when playing games like pong or flip cup, or any of the 100s' of drinking card games we got introduced to in our 20's. Perhaps you're looking to just enjoy a few good beers before the game though, and you'd like to bring some craft beers to share - this can be just as enjoyable.
Some folks like to bring the sophistication to a tailgate too as it's fun to be a crazy fun but also drink a fancy drink. You can set up a little mobile cocktail bar at your tailgating spot and have some fun making drinks. Get a few mixers, a couple different spirits, and see who has watched the movie Cocktail the most as you try to flare bottles and make up special drinks. Or, you know, keep it simple and make some 3 ingredient martinis or old fashions. Three fingers of scotch, neat, is an option, too!
Just remember to drink responsibly!
Give Out Prizes
This usually is related to the games that you've brought with you to play, but hey, you can give out prizes for the person with the most team spirit, or the oldest jersey, or the worst collection of team gear - it doesn't have to be for the winners of games, but it can be. Everyone loves winning prizes, so add an element of competition to your tailgate by giving out prizes for games or other activities. This will not only make the event more fun for everyone involved, but it'll also give people something to strive for and look forward to.
Don't forget that prizes can be for good OR for bad. If your team wins the cornhole tournament, awesome - you get something fun and nice. But if your team loses the cornhole tournament, maybe you should have to wear something big and embarrassing into the game? Giant sombrero? Jersey of the other team? Very bad face paint? We'll let your imagination take it from here, but tailgating is supposed to be about having fun, even if that means enjoying your friend's embarrassment!
Bring A Speaker
Music always makes any event more enjoyable, so consider bringing along a portable speaker so you can play some tunes throughout the tailgate. This way, everyone can sing and dance along and have an even better time!
There are so many great options for portable speakers these days, too. They've got ones that come with a carabiner clip so you can hang it from your tailgating tent. They've got waterproof ones if it's bad weather during the tailgate (or you can put your speaker in a plastic bag if it's not waterproof, but this does compromise the sound quality a bit). Pretty much any speaker on the market today will do the job, and the Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy for anyone to connect to the speaker and control the music. Make sure it's all charged up before you leave the house, or have a backup battery to keep it blasting those tunes all through the pre-game party.
Get Ready For Your Next NBA Tailgate Party
With these tips in mind, you’re now officially ready to throw the best NBA tailgate party ever. Be sure to have plenty of food and games on hand, and don’t forget the cornhole! With a little bit of planning and preparation, your tailgate party will be a hit with all of your friends. So gather up some friends, fire up the grill, and get ready for a good time.