GRB’s ULTIMATE Tailgating Guide

Given the proximity of Green River Builders’ newest community – Trove in Watkinsville – to The University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, to say we are excited about the “kickoff” to football season would be an understatement! In the hours before the players take the field and the cheers rise up from the crowd for each home game, the streets of Athens and the UGA campus will be strewn with tailgate tents and partygoers proudly wearing red and black.  

Get Gameday Ready

From jerseys to hats, you’ll want to represent your favorite team by sporting their colors. One of the best places to find merch is at the University of Georgia Bookstore – which devotes an entire FLOOR to apparel and licensed merchandise, but you can also find gameday gear at big box retailers around town like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports, or independent shops in Downtown Athens, like The Red Zone or The Clubhouse. Heery’s Clothes Closet is always well-stocked on red and black during football season for female fans who want a more fashion forward look.

Picking the Perfect Spot

Bear in mind that you’ll be up against some SERIOUS competition for the best tailgating spots, so it might require you scouting out early in the morning to claim a space, pop your tent and stay there. VisitAthensGA.com recommends Historic North Campus and the Intramural Fields on campus, as well as The Classic Center and private tailgate facilities like Tailgate Park and Bulldog Station off campus. Want someone else to do all the work? You could take a ride share into Downtown, visit a variety of breweries, pubs and restaurants before making your way onto campus, past a sea of tailgate tents and down the hill to the stadium for gametime. More of a “homebody”? You can still channel that same gameday spirit and host a tailgate party at home, then plop your guests in front of the big screen to watch the game – complete with A/C and no lines for the bathroom.

The Pre-Game Food

Whether you bring prepared dishes to set out on your folding table or fire up the grill to show off your pitmaster skills, food is an important aspect of any tailgate party. Food Network offers up its thoughts for the 67 Best Recipes to Add to Your Tailgate Menu. Both Athens and Watkinsville are filled with great restaurants that can do the cooking for you – from a Tailgate Package from Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers to BBQ by the pound and whole slabs of ribs from Pulaski Heights BBQ. Need a little something to wash down all that great food? Delish weighs in on the subject with recipes for 13 Awesome College Tailgate Cocktails. If you plan to indulge, take care to drink responsibly and have a designated driver for after the game.

The Pre-Game Fun

While food and drink are major focuses of any tailgate party, it’s easy to enhance your gathering with a little fun and games… and don’t forget the music! Cornhole has become a tailgate party standard in recent years, but The Spruce also recommends adding other portable games like Giant Tumbling Timbers, Rubber Horseshoes and a good old-fashioned Sport Disk to the mix. You also can’t go wrong with Bucket Ball (think a much larger version of Beer Pong) or classics like The Limbo. In the days leading up to game day, create a playlist that will hype up the crowd – featuring a mix of fan favorites (like Queen’s “We Are the Champions”) plus the occasional school fight and alma mater song. When it’s time to head to Sanford, make sure you know and are prepared to comply with the policies, procedures and prohibited items.

FUN FACT: If YOU lived in Trove, you’d be only 10 miles from the stadium! Select homesites are now available at Watkinsville’s newest delightful place to call “home.”  To schedule a tour of the community and available homesites, call 770-790-1096 or fill out our online interest form to have a member of our real estate team meet you! To learn more about Trove, Green River Builders and our other communities throughout Metro Atlanta, we invite you to visit www.GreenRiverBuilder.com.  

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