History of Tailgating

"There are many interesting theories as to how the tailgate party came into existence. When considering the overall history of the tailgate party, there are some historical points to consider that may shed some light as to how the present-day tailgate party has become such a popular pastime."

What is a modern-day tailgate party?

Merriam-Webster: a social gathering in which food and drinks are served at or near the back end of a parked vehicle (such as a pickup truck) that usually occurs in a parking lot before or after a public event (such a football game or concert)...

Wikipedia: a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating, which originated in the United States, often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food.

Bing: a social gathering before a sports event held in a parking lot outside the stadium with vehicles and the adjoining space used for picnicking, barbecuing, and other activities.

"Tailgate Party" (NOUN tail·gate par·ty)

No official organization can declare a single source of information that documents the first and last name of a single individual, or states a specific date of when the tailgate party was invented.

Historic Tailgating

Historically, tailgate parties were events that took place prior to an event, not after. But that's the standard practice, not a rule or requirement. A tailgate party can also take place after, even during the event. Typically however, the common idea of having a "pre-celebration" prior to an event goes back about 400 years ago, as people were celebrating with food and drink in a way that would simulate a tailgate party today. For example, similar tailgate-style events date back to Europe, 1700 AD, when gatherings of people celebrated just prior to social events. The term tailgate party wasn't used in that time period, but indeed there were activities that were similar to the present-day tailgate party..

People celebrating with food and drink in a festive manner just prior to an event, and doing so in an outdoor area in close proximity to the area of the designated event.

The first Tailgate Party that would fit our modern-day definition..

According to INNOVATEUS, the tailgate party first began in 1957 by Angela Pisani. She opened her tailgate in back of her station wagon to serve some sandwiches and lunch items for her kids and friends. When people asked her what she was doing, she replied..

"It's more of a tailgate party."

And that's how the phrase "tailgate party" began,. supposedly.

espproductionsnola also gives Angela Pisani credit for putting together the first tailgate party. Angela, wife of Dr. Anthony Pisani, team doctor for the New York Giants Football Team, would set up her station wagon at Yankee Stadium and serve sandwiches and drinks for her children, friends, and sports writers. The logic here is that the classic style of station wagons built back in those days was to have a "tailgate" that swung open from one far side (or two half doors that swung open from the center) and could accommodate easy access from the rear in a parked position.

One more important detail that is worth mentioning here. The Green Bay Packers are also given credit as being the NFL team that organized the first tailgate party, even though there is no clear evidence that any of the players or fans verbally used the term "tailgate." On the other hand, when people asked Angela Pisani what she was doing, she replied "it's more of a tailgate party." So it's fair to give Angela some extra credit here, as she was arguably the first known person to actually say "tailgate party," even though she may have been influenced by the Packers to use the term.

Events that fit other definitions of a similar celebration..

TEAM TAILGATE PARTY offers a few more possible ideas, both of which stem from several decades earlier: This one comes to us by way of the railroad. According to the story, a train carrying spectators to a Yale game in 1904 arrived very hungry after their long trip. According to Chakerian, the travelers found food and brought it with them to the stadium. And what usually happens when a large gathering of people with food and drink get together? PARTY!...

Here again we have to mention the Green Bay Packers. According to the Packers' organization, says Yahoo Lifestyle, that tailgating was in fact invented by the Green Bay fans in the 1920s. Fans would back their trucks up to the stadium and let the tailgate down for a place to sit. They packed food and drink so that they could entertain themselves up until kickoff, and to stay warm, they would gather around fires. This theory has all the right pieces to make for a one of the more believable theories.

According to the Mile High Report, the first college soccer/football game was played between Rutgers and Princeton on November 6th, 1869. The game used modified London Football Association rules. During the next seven years, rugby gained favor with the major eastern schools over soccer, and modern football began to develop from rugby. Even though parking lots and cars didn't exist, tailgating did. According to the story, those attending the game spent their pre-game time grilling up sausages at the "tail end" of a horse.

A descriptive article on Sports Now And Then describes the tailgate party going back a little further, and evolving from the chuckwagon. The slang term "Chuckwagon" [ˈCHək ˌwaɡən] NOUN means for food ("chuck"), and is given credit for being invented in Texas in 1866. It was as a way to feed travelers and traveling workers like cowboys and loggers. The horse-drawn wagon was part of the wagon train and carried food, as well as the means to cook it, such as the way tailgaters do it today with a truck that has a grill in the back.

According to TAILGATEFAN and National Geographic, the history of tailgating dates all the way back to the start of the Civil War. In 1861, civilians gathered in Washington DC, to watch the first battle of the Bull Run and cheer on their "team," the Union or the Confederates.

"Some theories go back even further!.."

TRIBUPEDIA (History Tribune Express) describes an interesting possibility; that the tailgate party (or the concept of) got its start in France during the Reign of Terror's final years. When guillotine executions took place, it was considered a prime time event. Before the beheading, the names of those to be executed were sold and families gathered for dinner, which was called Cabaret de la Guillotine. Families would paint their faces and act in a social and festive manner in between executions, and all while eating and drinking.

Conclusion

It's apparent that there is no clear answer as to when and how this pastime got started.

Back to top »