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This year I went to watch my favorite NFL team, the Miami Dolphins, play the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving night. This was an exciting experience, but I was worried about missing the turkey and other Thanksgiving items that I love to eat each year. Luckily, our friends that went with us had already planned out a Thanksgiving tailgate feast. We sat in the parking lot of Lambeau Field and watched the early football games while my friends cooked up a bacon-wrapped turkey on the tailgate of his truck. I was surprised by the number of people that were also tailgating, everywhere you looked people were sitting on truck beds or launch chairs having a good time. Everyone was very friendly and offered food or beverages to their parking lot neighbors. I have always known about tailgating in sport events but never realized that there was an entire culture that came along with it. This was an awesome experience, and it made me think of how tailgating culture began.

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The first known gathering of people to gather before sporting events goes all the way back to Ancient Greece. Pictured here is the Roman Colosseum that would host gladiator fights as well as other ancient sporting events. From an overhead view, it has a striking resemblance to NFL stadiums of today. The spectators would have music, food, and drinks. Since most of the people that would watch these events were common-folk, they would not be eating the delicacies of that time like fish and other meats. Instead they probably dined on cheeses and vegetables.

Klein, Christopher. “Tailgating: How the Pre‑game Tradition Can Be Traced to Ancient Times.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 10 Dec. 2021, www.history.com/news/tailgating-history-football-game-traditions-rituals.

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Carrots like these could have been eaten outside the Colosseum by spectators.

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What may have been the first American tailgate occurred in a town called Manassas in northern Virginia on July 21st, 1861. This is where the First Battle of Bull Run took place in the Civil War. Spectators traveled from up to 7 hours away to watch this battle, coming in covered wagons and carriages. They set up picnics a few miles away from the battlefield, and dined while watching the two sides fight. These people watched through opera spectacles and cheered for their side during the battle. This gave the Battle of Bull Run the nickname, "The Picnic Battle."

Klein, Christopher. “Tailgating: How the Pre‑game Tradition Can Be Traced to Ancient Times.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 10 Dec. 2021, www.history.com/news/tailgating-history-football-game-traditions-rituals.

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Cheese that could have been eaten by spectators at the Colosseum.

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Civilians enjoying a picnic while watching the Battle of Bull Run.

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Spectacles like these were used by civilians to observe the Battle of Bull Run while they ate and cheered.

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In the late 1800's and early 1900's two things were sweeping America by storm. One of these was the automobile that allowed people to get around much quicker, and the other was American football. These two pillars of America combined to help form what we know as tailgating today. The original "powerhouses" of football were Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. These being among the most prestigious colleges in America, the fans of these teams were mostly wealthy and important alumni of the schools. The rich people that would come to the games were among the rare few who had cars at the time. What might be the first pre-football game tailgate came Saturday November 24th, 1906 at the Harvard verse Yale game. A ticket for this game is pictured above. With over 100,000 fans in attendance, restaurants could not feed all of these fans, leading to them bringing their own food and having a parking lot picnic. Before the game began these picnics turned into small parties that are more recognizable to the tailgates of today.

Klein, Christopher. “Tailgating: How the Pre‑game Tradition Can Be Traced to Ancient Times.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 10 Dec. 2021, www.history.com/news/tailgating-history-football-game-traditions-rituals.

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Picture of fans outside of a Chicago Bears game in the 1940's. This is what early American tailgates looked like.

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Tailgating exploded in popularity when America began mass production of plastic coolers and portable grills in the 1950's. This allowed fans to bring more food and drinks, and also stay longer. These coolers (like the ones above) were a staple of tailgates for many years.

Klein, Christopher. “Tailgating: How the Pre‑game Tradition Can Be Traced to Ancient Times.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 10 Dec. 2021, www.history.com/news/tailgating-history-football-game-traditions-rituals.

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Grills like the one above helped the boom of tailgating in America. Grills also made hotdogs and burgers a staple of tailgates. These easy to make foods helped to fuel fans about to cheer on their favorite team.

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Over the years tailgating has grown with the evolution in technology. Above is a picture of me and my dad at a tailgate in Green Bay this Thanksgiving for the Packers vs. Dolphins game. As you can see there have been many improvements from the years past. Portable generators allow fans to bring televisions. Coolers and grills have gotten bigger and better so anything can be brought to cook or drink.

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Tailgating has turned into a party for football fans. In the year 2024 nobody does it better than the fans of the Buffalo Bills, also known as Bills Mafia. They have all sorts of food from your normal burgers and hotdogs, to pizzas and even steaks. Bills fans can also be seen all over social media having a great time getting drunk and jumping through tables. Tailgates turn anyone into friends before a football game.

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Above is a video of a few members of Bills Mafia jumping through a flaming table. This is a tradition that they started a few years ago, and is the most notable of all tailgating traditions.

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Bills fans are still jumping through tables despite the weather conditions ❄️ #shorts

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This is what it would have sounded like while the civilians watched the battle in front of them.

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Old Civil War Battle Ambience with Troops, Light Gunfire, Drums & Voices

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Old Civil War Battle Ambience with Troops, Light Gunfire, Drums & Voices