Contributed by Marnely Rodriguez, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Tailgating has become more than an event, for many football fans, it’s a tradition.

Every football state, every football city has a way to make the most out of it but it always tailgating around two things: sports and food. Whichever is your favorite, just make sure to have equal amounts of each and your tailgating days will surely be fun-filled.

Here are a few great tailgate party ideas:

Meat Lover’s Party

Ribs and steaks

Whether you are a fan of Ribs or Steaks, a Meat Lover’s Tailgate Party will have everyone drooling for more! One of the most primal things is to grill meats over and open fire and a great place to find a wide range of meats is online. Everything from filets, briskets, ribs, sausages, hot dogs and more, plus get your guests involved in your meat festival by having them bring their favorite grilling spices, marinades or hot sauces!

New York Deli

Overstuffed sandwiches, mile-high cheesecake

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Bring the best of New York’s deli district to your tailgate party, even if you live in the middle of nowhere, with a little help deli-style deliveries. These specialize in bringing real restaurant specialty foods to your door, straight from the source. Choose Italian deli meats and cheeses from the Arthur Avenue Italian Deli in the Bronx and bagels from Sable’s Smoked Fish in NYC. Then finish up the menu with mouthwatering cheesecakes from Eileens Special Cheesecake. Perfect for Yankees fans stranded in Texas or Giants fans lost in Nebraska! (They have foods from all over the country, so check them out for bringing a taste of your favorite cities home to you!)

Sport Themed

The basics

Why not stick to the basic but make it spectacular with team party gear. Look for team logo mason jar glasses, mugs, shot glasses, jerseys and even baby gear (for the tiniest fans!) to make it clear that you and your friends are true fans, and not just random partiers.

Pair the logo gear with paper plates, cups and table cloths in the team colors, and you’re ready to go. Just add food!

Under the Sea

East coast fans unite

Host a seafood based party if you live along the coast! A great source to get your seafood and lobsters is Lobster Anywhere, where you can get everything from Maine lobster, shrimp, scallops and even New England desserts for a sweet touch at the end of the game. Desserts such as whoopee pies, fudge and more will surely cure any sad losers!

All-American Tailgating

Bring on the grilling gear

Tailgating is all about sharing good times with even better friends, so why not do the classic set up but be sure to get a great grill and lounge chairs to hang out all day while grilling. Camping World has an entire section for tailgating, including mats for the kids and grills and tools for Dad!

All chocolate, all the time

Because party and chocolate just go together

Forget the hotdogs and the hamburger. Leave the potato salad and jello at home. This is all about chocolate. But that doesn’t mean this tailgate is just dessert. Serve a chicken mole. Or a spicy chili enriched with a good dose of dark baking chocolate. For drinks, you can choose anything from hot cocoa to chocolate martinis. And then there’s dessert. Oh yeah. Decadent chocolate candies from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Melt in your mouth cocoa tortes. Or even all American chocolate malts.

With all this amazing chocolate in one tailgate party, you might not even care who wins!