If you can’t go to the game, bring the game to your backyard
Who says you have to be in your football team’s stadium lot to host a tailgate party? Instead, show off your backyard setup and host an outdoor tailgate party to kick off your favorite team’s (hopefully) winning season.
Before the coin toss, follow these backyard tailgate party ideas for preparing your outdoor area so you can enjoy the game with your family and friends. While we can’t guarantee that your team will win, we assure you that your fellow fans will rave about your party until the Super Bowl.
1. Mount an Outdoor TV
First things first: You need a well-placed TV to watch your team soar into the end zone. The easiest way to ensure everyone has a view of the game is to mount your outdoor TV on a wall or fireplace.
Ideally, the TV should not receive direct sunlight and hang at least 6 feet away from your grill, pool, or fireplace. While it’s possible to hang your TV yourself, your best bet is to hire a local wall mounting service to guarantee that it will be secure all season long.
2. Build a Pergola
There’s nothing worse than missing a big play in the game because the sun’s glare blocked the view. Consider building a pergola to create more shade in your outdoor TV area. These are popular landscaping staples due to their versatility and customizability, especially when adding one to an existing deck or patio. Keep in mind that the installation of a pergola costs $10 to $60 per square foot.
3. Clean Your Grill
Grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst go hand in hand with tailgating, so get ahead of the game by cleaning your grill before the party. Clean your grill inside and out by scrubbing the exterior and grill grates, and using a wet-dry vacuum to suck up debris in the fire box or grill base. This task may take up a bit of time now but it will pay off when you’re grilling the day away all season long.
4. Mow and Perform Maintenance on Your Lawn
Mow your grass like a pro to impress your guests with a perfectly manicured lawn. Ideally, you should wait to mow until your grass reaches 2 to 3 inches tall, depending on its type and climate.
Now is also a good time to perform lawn maintenance tasks that have been on the back burner. Check off the tasks on this lawn maintenance checklist, including removing weeds, fertilizing grass, and raking leaves.
5. Scrub Your Outdoor Kitchen
If you’re planning to mix drinks or serve snacks in your outdoor kitchen, do yourself a favor and deep clean it before kickoff. Need help cleaning your outdoor kitchen? Consider hiring a local cleaning service to take that task off your to-do list. Ensure that the home-cleaning pro specializes in exterior cleaning services, and ask them to wipe down counter surfaces, scrub the interior of the outdoor refrigerator, and remove any yard debris.
6. Inspect Your Patio, Driveway, and Walkways
The summer heat can take a toll on your outdoor spaces, so take a few minutes to inspect them for new cracks, chips, out-of-place pavers, and other damage. It’s a win-win because you can make sure they’re looking good and you won’t risk someone tripping when they jump up to celebrate a game-winning touchdown.
Since it’s more cost-effective to address a minor problem than wait until a crack or chip spreads, take care of any damage right away. You can patch a small area of the driveway for $3 to $5 per square foot, and you can replace pavers for $8 to $25 per square foot.
7. Add Team Spirit to Your Patio
Of course, you can’t host a backyard tailgate party without decking out your space with the team’s colors and merch. After cleaning your patio, add football-themed decorations like streamers, centerpieces, and balloons.
Another tailgate decorating idea is to create themed menu signs so your guests know where to find snacks and drinks. To make your game-day party a hit, round up your guests to play classic tailgate games like cornhole during halftime.
8. Install an Outdoor Refrigerator
Tired of running inside to grab cold drinks during every commercial break? Make warm-weather hosting easier by hiring a local appliance installer to add a full-size or mini outdoor refrigerator.
Choose the best refrigerator based on the available space and your storage capacity needs. For example, if you don’t plan to store food or groceries in your outdoor refrigerator, you likely only need a mini version.
