Nothing beats a good tailgate. Hanging out by your truck or trailer at an event and firing up the grill with your buddies can be a great way to build memories and make new friends. If you’re in the Rochester, Minnesota, area, there’s plenty of wonderful opportunities for tailgating all year long. Regardless of what sort of activities you’re into, you can enjoy a tailgate in the area. Here are a few fun ideas to get you started.
Tailgate at a Vikings Game
Football season is over for the Minnesota Vikings, however, pre-season and regular-season games will be back at the end of the summer, meaning football tailgating is back. There’s not many better tailgating experiences than those found at NFL football games. There’s plenty of lawn games set up and the barbecues will be rocking. If you’ve never been to a tailgate at an NFL game, but enjoy the cookout atmosphere, be sure to add one to your bucket list.
Tailgating at US Bank Stadium can be tricky since spaces are limited. The stadium offers season-long tailgating passes to season ticket holders only. If you’re not a season ticket holder, you’ll need to buy a tailgating pass on a game-by-game basis. The tailgating parking lots will open five hours before kickoff for weekend games and must end either three hours after the game has ended or midnight, whichever comes first.
Tailgate at a Gohpers Game
The tailgating scene at the college football level can be just as exciting and fun as the tailgates happening at US Bank Stadium for the Vikings. The University of Minnesota Gophers play seven home games throughout the season between late August and late November. If you’re a real tailgate junky who can’t get enough tailgating action you may get the opportunity to pull a double header tailgate weekend by attending a Gophers tailgate on Saturday and a Vikings tailgate the following day.
If you plan on tailgating at a Gophers game, there’s a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. Tailgating is only allowed in designated lots. It can begin six hours before the game starts, but never earlier than 7 am. Weekday games have the same restrictions with the earliest start time being 2 pm. All tailgating must end no later than four hours after the game or midnight, whichever comes first. As the 2020 season approaches, the university will release the schedule of games and provide tailgating start and end times.
Olmsted County Fair
Another great tailgating experience is a bit different than the one found at a football game. County and country fairs which span multiple days often have parking lots which allow you to stay there with your RV or camper. Here you can find other fair-goers who might be open to a cookout at night. The Olmsted County Fair is one such event where tailgating every night after attending the fair might provide more fun opportunities.
With so many tailgating opportunities happening in the Rochester, Minnesota, area it’s hard not to find yourself involved in all the fun. Check out one of the three tailgate ideas above this year!
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