2022 Tailgate Preview V: Oklahoma

It’s been awhile, dear friends. I’m sure you’re ready to gather together to celebrate a home football game! An 11 a.m. game means you can tailgate, watch a Cyclone victory, and be home in plenty of time for trick-or-treating or trunk-or-treating or beggar’s night or going to a super fun neighborhood Halloween party for grown ups only (that’s what I’m doing).

Weather - Another GORGEOUS Fall day

Mother Nature will be smiling on Ames on Saturday, with a comfortable temperature, barely any wind, and lots of sunshine. We must take advantage of these days while we have them! You never know how long beautiful weather will last around these parts (although next weekend is looking potentially lovely as well).

Food - Halloween Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards have been everywhere for awhile now and with good reason - they’re cute, delicious, and relatively easy to put together. There isn’t really much cooking or baking necessary if that’s not your thing. This Pumpkin snack board is really cute and I also like this Jack o’ Lantern snack board that has a creative color twist. This Friday the 13th charcuterie board is adorable and hilarious (a Jason Voorhees hockey mask made with brie? C’mon!) And this little gem, a Skull charcuterie board is one I’m going to make for a Halloween work party tonight! Check Twitter later to see if I do it justice.

Drink - Bloody Jello Shots

My friend Erica (Hi, Erica!) brought these to a Halloween party last year and they were a hit. Jello shots are tasty and fun and a little bit silly, so they’re perfect for Halloween...and tailgating. They may be a little time consuming to put together (but maybe actually easier than pouring shots into tiny cups?). The presentation is sure to be memorable and they’re easily shareable and portable.

Game - Ghosts in the Graveyard

Like nearly every game suggestion I’ve pulled out of the deep, dusty, childhood memory files of my brain so far this season, this one at first seemed like a mostly silly suggestion. But the more I thought about playing it with a group of tipsy adults at a tailgate, the more it seemed like an opportunity for lots of fun. Do you remember this one? Here are some rules if not, but it’s more or less hide and seek in reverse. There’s lot of hiding and seeking and yelling and running...all things that make for fun and antics.

Song - “Burning Bridges” by Pink Floyd

I’ve always thought Pink Floyd was a little spooky, haven’t you? Even before I watched the Wizard of Oz while listening to Dark Side of the Moon (seriously...so eerie), their music is just a little ominous and therefore perfect for a Halloween tailgate. And you may or may not have noticed that it’s a song about bridges which means it checked BOTH my boxes for this week’s tailgate preview! Is it going to be a crowd pleaser? Doubtful. A song to pump up the crowd? Definitely not. A certified banger? Um...no.

Enjoy!