Tailgate parties are some of the best events to enjoy incredible food and drink and meet people that you would never normally speak to. These types of parties are often held in the parking lots of huge arenas and stadiums before events such as concerts, festivals, and sports games. Tailgating parties have become an integral part of American culture, where hundreds, and even sometimes thousands, of people come together to drink and eat the food they have brought from the tailgate of their car.
Tailgate parties first became popular before sporting events, mainly American football games. Nowadays, tailgate events have spread to other sports, including hockey, basketball, soccer, and baseball. They have even started to take place at weddings, concerts, and cultural festivals. Other than enabling people to enjoy each other’s company, a tailgate raises money for important causes, such as different charities. For example, in 2019 a charity tailgate party was held at the Grove City Brewing facilities in aid of a non-profit organization supporting the fight against human trafficking. News headlines praised the event, which managed to raise an impressive $3,300 for the cause.
Some of the most popular foods that people like to bring to tailgate parties include classic BBQ foods such as burgers, hotdogs, bratwurst, and pizzas. This is often accompanied by homemade dishes such as potato salad and coleslaw, and snacks such as guacamole and tortilla chips. The choice of what you bring is entirely up to you, and depending on what part of America the tailgate party is being held in, you can see quite a lot of variation. If you happen to find yourself in Charlotte, North Carolina, at some point this year and want to experience what an authentic tailgate party is all about then keep reading. Below we will go through two of the most popular events that will be taking place in Charlotte this year, where you will be sure to find a tailgate party occurring.
Luke Combs concert
The Luke Combs World Tour is scheduled to take place on July 15 this year at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Luke Combs is one of the most popular country singers in the world, who recently won Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs. His world tour will take him all over the globe, including such places as the UK, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, and France. But before Combs embarks on his epic overseas trip, he will be making a stop in Charlotte to perform to the home crowd. Before the show, there will be a tailgate party held at 2 p.m. in the stadium’s North Plaza.
The tailgate will be jam-packed with fans from all over the country, with plenty of live music, food, and merchandise stalls. If you think this sounds like something you would be interested in then don’t hesitate to start making plans to be there now. You can expect a lot of people to turn up to have a great time before the show starts. The tickets for the show are selling out fast, so you will need to act soon to book your place in the stadium to enjoy some of the best country music in the world. The Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte holds over 75,000 people which means that the atmosphere at the concert will be absolutely amazing.
Charlotte FC vs NY Red Bulls
If you are a fan of soccer and want to know what tailgating before a big sporting event is like then you should definitely mark March 25 this year in your calendar (and in fact every FC Charlotte home game.) Charlotte FC will be taking on the NY Red Bulls at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. If you want to join the home supporters and take part in the tailgate then you should arrive at 3:30 p.m., when the party is due to kick off at the McNinch Street parking lot. If you’re lucky enough to attend you can expect everything from food trucks and street vendors offering delicious food and craft beers, to music from DJ Chris Neal. Those attending the tailgate are also permitted to bring their own food and drink so they don’t have to spend a lot of money before the game.
If you don’t have a ticket for the game on the day then you can visit the ticket office. However, be aware that there will only be a limited number of tickets available on the day. There is also a supporters march from the tailgate party to the stadium before this and every Charlotte FC home game, which on this occasion will take place at 6:30 p.m. The day (and night!) will be full of great food, competitive soccer, and all-round lots of fun, so don’t miss out!