LSU Tailgate on a Saturday Night

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This is, in our estimation, one in a list of thirty marvelous places, flavors, events, and experiences that anyone who lives in—or loves—our part of the world should experience at least once in his or her lifetime.

Participating in an LSU tailgate when the Tigers are playing another big SEC team is a must. The night before the game, RVs and tents start to populate the parking lots around the stadium. By Saturday morning, the Spanish architecture of the campus has faded into the background to make room for a human sea of purple and gold. Fans cook everything: whole pigs, fried catfish, and cast-iron pots of jambalaya big enough to feed a football team. Many supply power to their tents with generators so they can watch other football games on big screen TVs equipped with satellite feeds. The campus population swells to over 200,000 people who pass the time drinking bourbon and playing Cajun horseshoes; even the most respectable alumni are known to engage in a game of beer pong. About an hour and a half before kickoff, The Golden Band from Tigerland marches down Victory Hill towards Death Valley. The drums keep time. There is a pause, then the horns blare the pre-game salute, and electricity runs through the air.