08/31/2026
Welcome back to Stacie’s Vintage Ventures with Flea Market Decor Magazine! Football season is here, which means one thing in Alabama it’s tailgate time! 🏈 In these parts we take our college football and our tailgating pretty seriously. 😂
Today I’m sharing a tailgate setup filled with vintage treasures, favorite team memorabilia, and two recipes featuring products and flavors from my home state of Alabama!
I started with a vintage chenille bedspread that I repurposed as a tablecloth. A vintage picnic tin became a vessel for flowers, complete with homemade felt and chalkboard pennants, while an old thermos holds another little bouquet. A plaid Skotch Jug on a cake stand serves up drinks into vintage glassware or Solo cups, because it is a tailgate after all!
I also added some memorabilia! Vintage team pennants, a houndstooth hat in honor of legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, a miniature Denny Chimes made by my great-grandfather, and a thrifted megaphone outfitted with a vintage sticker all add a little nostalgia to the table.
Wooden folding chairs provide seating along with vintage Skotch Koolers filled with local beer and glass bottle sodas. I even used an old locker basket to hold napkins and plates, and pie tins that make the cutest plates!
But we all know the real star of any tailgate is the food!
In Tuscaloosa at the University of Alabama and over in Auburn at Auburn University you’ll find everything from barbecue and game day dips to shrimp boils, fun sides, desserts, and signature drinks filling tailgate tents.
I even got to experience tailgating at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, and it was a full on event! Brisket, sides, traditions, and football it was definitely a tailgate to remember.
Tailgating itself has a cool history. As automobiles became more common in the early 20th century, fans could travel farther to games. Small towns didn’t have enough restaurants so fans began bringing along food and drinks to enjoy near their cars before kickoff. Over the years those simple game day picnics evolved into elaborate tailgate parties on some campuses.
I am also sharing some recipes for a little Alabama flavor!
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