Sept. 6 marks the 10th annual celebration of National Tailgating Day. The day of celebration was created by Luke Lorick, president of Tailgating Challenge, a tailgating-focused social media brand.
Lorick’s enthusiasm for tailgating turned into a brand with a mission: test out the coolest tailgating gear and give fans a chance to win. Over the last 13 years, Tailgating Challenge has tested more than 800 products and handed out thousands of prizes.
“Tailgating has always been about more than just the party,” Lorick said. “It’s about connecting with others, celebrating shared interests and making memories before the big game starts.”
Tailgating Challenge now has more than 300,000 followers across social media platforms; visit tailgating-challenge.com.
Grocers offer resources for tailgating
As food is the centerpiece of tailgating, grocers can fill a crucial role in getting a tailgate off the ground. Many of them devote pages of their websites to help shoppers get a tailgate together, whether they’re gathering at home to watch the game with friends or going to the stadium to see the game live. Below is a sampling of the tailgating assistance offered by grocers.
Hy-Vee 
Iowa-based Hy-Vee has a “Make-Ahead Tailgate Food & Tips” page on its website. It offers pre-tailgate prep suggestions; ideas for portable appliances and dishes that can be used for tailgating and links to buy products in several categories, such as bakery, coolers, meal packs, paper goods, and wine and spirits.
Other features include an assortment of make-ahead recipes; links to store-prepared tailgate foods; and “4 hacks for transporting tailgate foods,” one of which is placing appliances in boxes for transport. For instance, a slow cooker with food inside should be placed in a snug box or bin to keep it upright on the trip to the tailgate.
Publix
Florida-based Publix features “a tasty tailgate, delivered,” through its partner Instacart. Tailgaters can order Publix’s renowned sub sandwiches as well as platters and boxes from the stores’ deli, bakery and seafood departments.
The website also offers a range of recipes and tailgating tips.
Kroger
Ohio-based Kroger offers customers a “Game Day Eats” page, with links to products in different categories of “Spread Essentials” such as Grab & Go Apps (appetizers), Pizza, Wings & Meatballs, Beverages and Snacks.
Other shoppable categories on the tailgating page include Dippable Snacks and Desserts for the Win. A link to place a deli order also is included for those who want the store to do the work.
Kroger – Foods Co.
Kroger’s Foods Co. banner, which operates 20 stores in California, offers a little different spin, presenting “Budget-friendly Ideas for Your Next Tailgate.”
Some of the ideas for wallet-friendly dishes include sliders, hot dogs, chicken wings and chili, with a link to a recipe provided for each dish. Brand tie-ins are featured in some of the recipes. Bud Burger Sliders, for instance, feature a can of Budweiser lager, and Tailgate Chili utilizes Coca-Cola.
The site also throws out the idea of a “salegate.” “Shop sales for your main ingredients and tailor you recipes to fit your finds.”
Walmart
A search on the Arkansas-based retailer’s website yields 456 “Tailgating Snacks.”
Walmart also has a web page in partnership with General Mills called “Team Up with Tailgate Nation.” There, shoppers can find recipes like Arkansas Razorbacks Chex Snack Mix, with links to buy ingredients alongside.
On its “Time to tailgate” page, there are links to general merchandise needed, such as grills, coolers and canopies; a video of tailgating tips from Matt Leinart; and links to food, drinks, disposable tableware, tailgating games and team gear.
Shopping lists for a watch party spread and a tailgate under $50 also are offered on the page, along with numerous recipes that have an estimated cost per serving noted.
ShopRite
ShopRite, a grocery banner of New Jersey-based Wakefern Food Corp., features “Tailgating Snacks & Crowd-Pleasing Recipes!” on its website.
Shoppers find quick links to products in various tailgate-friendly categories, including frozen appetizers, condiments and seasonings, meat and seafood for the grill, charcuterie, sweet treats, drinks, club-size savings and cleaning supplies.
Redner’s Markets
An employee-owned company with 44 grocery stores in eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, Redner’s helps customers who want to keep it a little simpler by presenting “tailgate food ideas without grill.”
“Consider alternatives if your family and friends enjoy tailgating but hate the stress of packing up the grill, ingredients and propane/charcoal for fuel,” the grocer says.
A variety of party trays are offered, including party subs, brioche sliders, chicken wings and meats and cheeses. A “lean and lite” tray also is among the choices, as are a fresh fruit platter and garden-fresh vegetable platter from the produce department.
Seafood is a popular choice for tailgating on the Eastern Seaboard, and Redner’s offers several options, like the clam lovers bake, deluxe shrimp tray, lobster bake, shrimp bake and snow crab cluster bake.
The bakery has numerous options for dessert, such as the Italian cookie tray, doughnut tray and brownie delight tray.
Recipe ideas that don’t require a grill are featured as well.
Giant Eagle
Pennsylvania-based Giant Eagle, operating more than 470 stores in western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana, lets shoppers know it’s “Your One-Stop Tailgating Shop,” offering “everything you need to throw a winning pre-game party.”
It organizes tailgate items into several categories, including Grilling Essentials, Toppings & Buns, Premade Dips and Paper, Plastics & Charcoal.
“Simple and tasty” tailgating recipes are presented, as well as videos on how to make them (a beer bratwurst hot tub, for example).
Foodtown 
Foodtown, which has stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, presents “4 Stress-Free Tailgating Foods that Travel Well” on its site. A couple of the options are turkey-potato hand pies and football sugar cookies. Full recipes, with photos, are provided.
Instacart
Online grocery shopping and delivery service Instacart currently is featuring “20+ Top Tailgate Food Ideas for the Grill and Slow Cooker” on its website to help encourage consumers to get their tailgate supplies brought straight to their door.
“Whether you’re going to be rooting for the Bears on a snowy day in Chicago or cheering on the Texas Rangers on a sunny spring day, tailgating is an essential subset of the sport for many fans,” it says.
Ideas for grilled foods include meat and vegetable kabobs, foil packet nachos, beer brats and the perennial favorites, hamburgers and hot dogs.
Crockpot ideas include cola pulled pork sandwiches, Buffalo chicken dip (which can be served with tortilla or corn chips or on a bun) and walking tacos (the taco meat is kept warm in the crockpot until it’s added to a bag of single-serving corn chips along with other toppings).
The site also offers additional ideas for tailgate snacks, both sweet and savory.
Premier Family Medical and Urgent Care
Though not a grocer, this Utah-based group of medical service providers put out “Healthy Tailgate Food Ideas for Game Day,” with ideas including veggie-packed wraps and sandwiches, grilled kebabs, fruit and vegetable trays with healthy dips, Buffalo chicken lettuce wraps, jalapeño poppers made with healthier ingredients and then baked or air fried, grilled meatballs, healthy tacos, fruit skewers with dark chocolate drizzle, Greek yogurt parfaits and oatmeal banana bites.
It also offered ideas on healthy swaps for traditional tailgate foods, such as baked wings instead of fried; replace regular chips with baked vegetable chips or whole-grain crackers; and turkey or veggie burgers rather than beef.