By Adrianna Zampieri

Football season is well upon us, Ags. Put on your game face, and get ready to party. The new and improved Kyle Field is reopening its doors for the Aggies’ home-opener against the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday, September 12. In celebration, Texas A&M is hosting the “world’s largest tailgate,” showcasing Grammy-nominated talent and providing a dazzling exhibition of fireworks along with a historic First Yell. Although the average person may not have the means to throw such an elaborate tailgate party, you can still score big among your friends if you consider the following:

The Food

Every Texan should know how to fire the grill. It’s instinct, and the meat is unquestionably the hero of a tailgate party. A juicy hamburger with the all the works hits the spot, but every hero needs a sidekick. For example, jalapeño poppers, a delectable combination of crispy and creamy, are a perfect accompaniment to any main course. All you need are jalapeños, cream cheese, and bacon. It’s sure to be a hi—need we say more?

  1. Select your desired amount of jalapenos, and cut them in half while removing the seeds. (It’s smart to soak these in milk for a couple hours to pull some of the heat out)
  2. Fill the jalapeño halves with as much cream cheese as you would like.
  3. Slice bacon strips in half. Then wrap them around the cream cheese filled jalapeños and secure with a toothpick.
  4. Preheat your lightly-oiled grill to a medium heat
  5. Place your jalapeño poppers on the grill and cook until the bacon has browned and the peppers are hot to your liking, about 30 minutes.
  6. Serve warm.

The Décor

Tailgating isn’t just about the food, atmosphere plays a big part in the party and decorations can help set the mood. To get your Aggie loyals fired up, you need to garnish the event in A&M decor. Serve food on Aggie plates. Cover tables with a football-patterned tablecloth. Paint the lid of your cooler in a maroon and white design. Even hang a banner from one side of your canopy tent to the other. They’re easy to make and add a sprinkle of personality to your tailgate party.

  1. Create a cardstock triangle template as small or as large as you would like.
  2. Using the template, cut out as many burlap pennants as you need. For example, if you want to spell out “Aggies,” you will need six burlap pennants.
  3. Use mod podge to seal the frayed edges of your pennants.
  4. Decorate each of your pennants how you would like, and allow for any paint or glue you may have used to dry.
  5. Turn your pennants over and place them in order from right to left.
  6. Using a hot glue gun, glue twine to the burlap pennant by folding the top edge over. Make sure to leave space between each pennant and leave extra string on both sides of the banner.
  7. If you don’t have the time to make your own banner, then you can purchase a pre-made burlap pennant garland at Hobby Lobby that you can decorate.
  8. Display your homemade banner with Aggie pride.

The Clothing

Everything about tailgating screams school spirit, and as the host of a tailgate party, you need to look the part. You can purchase your Aggie gear from local stores like Aggieland Outfitters and Maroon U. Ladies can finish off their outfit with a dash of decorative jewelry. But rather than buying some, why not go the extra mile and make your own? Points for originality, right? Transform some old bangles into a cute accessory that matches your game day outfit.

  1. Purchase embroidery floss or silk thread in Aggie colors.
  2. Apply a dot of E-6000 craft glue, which can be bought at Hobby Lobby, on the inside of your bangle.
  3. Begin to wrap your thread around the bangle, starting at the area where you put the glue.
  4. Continue wrapping your bangle until about there is about a centimeter left. Then apply another dot of glue to the inside of the bangle.
  5. Finish wrapping your bangle and let dry.
  6. As evidenced by the photo, you can also do this with many other colors to match many more outfits.