Hosting A Tailgate Birthday Party

{Texas Longhorns Theme}

This girl is ready for some football! Fall weather (I can dream), watch parties, white knuckle games and burnt orange. If you happen to have a birthday party to plan somewhere there in between, then let me give you an easy idea:

Texas Longhorns Tailgate!

Technically you can pick any team you like or go neutral, but since we are in Austin, Texas, here are some ideas for hosting a Texas Longhorn tailgate birthday extravaganza!

Themed attire

Wear your favorite team apparel, find some temporary tattoos, and if you really want to be extra, get eye black. I hope the birthday girl or boy already owns UT gear to wear – check.

Pick a practical location

If you have an accessible tailgate spot, by all means, invite your friends and family to celebrate, or if you’re like most of us, tailgate at the casa where your tv’s are readily available.

Themed decor

If you are a Longhorn fan then I bet between you and friends you can decorate on a budget. We borrowed our neighbors inflatable Bevo to put in the front yard, hung a burnt orange Texas sign on the door and pulled all the Longhorn stuffed animals we had (like Cooper from college) to place around the house. We printed art prints I made and framed them with frames we already had, and went to HEB for some balloons. (Balloon trick – have them stuff a black balloon inside an orange balloon to make burnt orange.)

Football party supplies

There is football decor galore out there. Check the University Co-Op for UT-specific plates, cups, napkins, etc. Head to the dollar store for budget-friendly football serving trays and serving utensils. Amazon has your back for party favors. (My kid loves any sports balls.)

Tailgate food

Hot dogs, hamburgers, brats and chips all are all solid picks for game day. Even fajitas. You can also do tailgate snacks if you’re not hosting the party over lunch or dinner. We used a Taste of the Stadium serving set-up for extra football flare.

Longhorn desserts

If you are DIYing your sweets and not having a Longhorn themed cake made for you, buy a Longhorn cake mold. They have cookie cutters and cupcake molds online too. Spruce it up on a pretty Longhorn tray (that you can of course use again).

Football activities

First and foremost, play the game on tv. If not hosting during actual game time, turn on sports anyway. You can also get crafty with some classic football-themed activities for older kids.

Ultimately you can be as basic or as extravagant as you want to be. Full disclosure, I went the resourceful route and leveraged all the decor and what not we already had, so that my dollars weren’t wasted on buying a bunch of stuff we would never use again. It’s such a practical theme, and there are so many resources out there, like the Co-Op, to support your Longhorn tailgate birthday party dreams.

Hook ‘em!