To most Southerners, the month of September means one thing — football season. The weather is starting to cool off, weekends are spent outside, and tailgating becomes a Saturday ritual. Everyone loves a good tailgate before any big game, and hosting one should be fun and simple. Whether you’re attending a game to watch your favorite team play or you just want to have a tailgate party in your backyard, these ideas and tips will help you cook and decorate your way to the perfect outdoor party. 

Food

Tailgate food should be fuss-free and delicious. There’s one rule to follow when creating a tailgate menu — only cook some of it. First, decide if you want to do several appetizers or one main dish. If you decide on appetizers, choose three to four recipes to cook and buy a few dips, olives, and pre-made small bites. No one has to know you cheated a little — just use decorative bowls and platters to dress it up. If you go the main dish route, make something that can be turned into a “toppings bar.” Soup, stew, chili, sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs are ideal to garnish. Different cheeses, avocado, onions, bacon, veggies, tapenade, croutons, pickles, sauces, and jellies are all great topping ideas, and everything can be store-bought and put in small bowls. It’s stress-free for you and fun for guests.

Décor

Simplicity is the key to decorating for tailgates. Most people’s focus is on food, drink, and the company when it comes to tailgating, so simple décor is always best — just make sure you’re representing the team everyone is cheering on. To display food and drink nicely, a tablecloth is always a good base. Choose one in your team’s color or go for white or black and decorate around it. Spirit items such as footballs, helmets, pom pons, megaphones, clappers, and spirit sticks scattered around the food and drink table are a nice touch. Plus, they act as décor and party favors that guests can take home or to the game with them. Flowers add elegance and can be bought in different team colors. You can also go the DIY route by hitting up a dollar store and getting creative. Chalkboards act as a cute menu display or platters; mason jars can be painted and act as containers for utensils; and balloons can be bunched together for a colorful, impressive background. 

Drink

The perfect hostess should plan to have several drink choices — both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. If kids are coming, have individual fruit drinks and juices for them. Better yet, make a sangria-style pitcher of fruit juice or Kool-aid, mixing in different fruits and herbs. For the adults who aren’t drinkers, bottled waters, sodas, and even bottled iced coffees are a good idea. For the drinkers, have a cooler full of different style beers and a Mimosa or Bloody Mary bar that includes different mixers, flavored simple syrups, and toppings. When it comes to drinks — the more choices, the better.