Go to Guide for UND Tailgate Season!

Tailgate season has come, and you can feel the excitement on the UND campus! Football season is one of those times when Grand Forks really comes together to show its school spirit. This is one of my favorite seasons because I’m able to hang out with all my friends and have a great time soaking in the fresh air and excitement across the Alerus parking lot.

One of my favorite things about UND tailgates is the student section in the back lot of the Alerus. It’s filled with students bringing music, games, and sporting great game day outfits. Many of the UND fraternities set up camp, and you’ll find them mingling, dancing, and playing their favorite game, throwing dice on a table (I don’t know what it is, I just know that it’s everywhere). So, whether you’re a student or not, and want to explore for a bit, I definitely suggest checking it out!

Football will always be a highly watched sport in high school, college, and professional levels. High school football can be a very exciting thing to watch when you have State Championships and Homecoming games, and correct me if I’m wrong, but none are as exciting as the Cushman Classic in Grand Forks. The Cushman Classic is the annual football game between Red River and Central, played at Cushman Field right by Red River High School. This is a highly anticipated game with high stakes and two of the liveliest student sections I have personally ever seen. It’s typically the last regular season game for both schools and if you’ve never gone, I recommend you check it out.

The section right when you walk into a tailgate always has something fun going on, whether it’s bouncy houses for the kids, people throwing around a football, playing corn hole, or even the first tailgate of the year had a live band, and they were great. The energy in this area is infectious, especially with kids running around, giggling everywhere they go. There’s always something new, so if you’re looking for fun for your kids (or your inner child), it’s a great place to be!

If you plan on attending a UND tailgate, there are a few things you should know beforehand:

• Always check the weather, and if you don’t know what attire is best, layers will be your best friend. I can’t tell you how many times the weather has looked poor, and I’ve left a sweaty mess because I didn’t foresee the sun coming out.
• Wear at least a little bit of green. Green is the best color to wear to a tailgate, seeing it’s UND’s main color, and as long as you aren’t pairing it with yellow… You should be good to go! 😉
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before. A fun tailgate is an awake tailgate, you will thank me later 🙂

Grand Forks is a town filled with pride for our teams, and tailgates are our time to share that with our community. So, spend a few hours before the game eating food, enjoying music and games, and laughing with your friends. Go Hawks!