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Greeting Parrotheads! -- Camden show is just around the corner and I'm starting my tailgating planning. It happens every year....as you walk around the lots you see all these great ideas and say "I've GOT to do that next year!" Then, by the following summer all those great ideas are forgotten.

What are the best ideas you've seen (or had) for Buffett shows in the past? Things to do, or things to grill and/or blend?

Share the love, folks. We want to make this another great year in the parking lots before the show.

I would love to hear some ideas as well. We're not all that innovative, but let me tell you... last year the "hot tub" came in handy at Nissan!

Littleskatersmom wrote:I would love to hear some ideas as well. We're not all that innovative, but let me tell you... last year the "hot tub" came in handy at Nissan!

We usually bring the kiddie pool along, but last year someone at Camden had a hot tub. I'd love to do that, but it looks too difficult to pull off. How did u do it?

party with me

I usually get to the lot about 7:15-7:30 and go right inside for the concert. Have I been missing something all these years?

If you access to a trailerboat......

For a few years, I brought my 30' Searay boat into the parking lot at Irvine. While many had RV's, between 1990 - 1994 we were the only boat at the show and had some fun by unhooking the Suburbam tow vehicle, then putting the anchor and chain about 20' in front of the boat, then a ski rope 20' behind with an inflatable doll on waterskis. It was a riot.

One year, Jimmy's video crew boarded the boat. The cameraman was taken below by some girl that was visiting the boat (still unknown person to me), he then came back up in the lounge area with hair messed up and smile on his face. At that show, and for three years later, Jimmy's video people showed at least 10 seconds of footage at every show around the country on "Island Dancer". We now have a 53' footer named "Hotel California" and one of these days want to haul it in on the back of a semi into a west coast show.

Boats are fun tailgate accessories if you have access to one.

That's genius! I need a boat.
Did you fly the skull and crossbones, matey?

stephnrich wrote:That's genius! I need a boat.
Did you fly the skull and crossbones, matey?

Oh yes....it had the flag, various pirate types, and wenches, many wenches. A portable generator was on the ground by the trailer hooked up to our shore power cable keeping the blenders running full speed, and the 200 watt stereo cranking Jimmy, Marley and The Eagles. The only issue was the swim step was 7 feet off the ground, we had a ladder for people to climb up, which was always dicey. At least one poor soul a year would fall off the ladder after a few drinks no matter how well we helped people up and down. All in all, quite a scene.

Our pirate ship of choice at the shows now is a 45' tour bus which we are taking out for the Boston shows in September. Nice change, but not near as fun and quirky as the boat. Even bringing in a small ski boat does the trick, and attracts the bikini clad! I see many more boats these days, alas, they were banned at Irvine in 1995....I started a trend the Irvine PD did not like.....

If you don't have a vessel you can always build a beach . . . lots of sand.

I've seen Sand for entire areas. I've seen sand around Tiki bars. Ive seen sand for limbo'ing. Just have the sand.

Some cheap and easy toys I have - - - Bubble gun and squirt gun filled with Tequila.

Our tailgate this year in Chicago will feature a tiki bar, sand, bubbles, music, limbo, beads, squirt guns, and still to be decided depending on power a smoking volcano (It'll be nice to use the fog machine outside of halloween). Gotta finish the portable bar first.

i'm working on pool this year for cincy....12x3

What will it take to fill this pool? How many gallons?

it sounds so lame after everything posted before this, but a good old fashioned hammock always makes people stop and swing for a spell.

These are terrific ideas! I have a hammock at home....that has to get packed now.
For filling the pool, we save up empty 5-gallon water cooler bottles. Just fill them with the hose, load them up in the back of the van, and we're off. Everyone always wants to know how we got the water there. One year we put the bladder from a water bed in the back of a truck and filled it up. Then, when we arrived, just drain it into the pool.

Tequila water gun....that definitely goes on the list.

So many great ideas....please keep them coming. Oh, if only I had access to a boat or a bus.

I really liked the erupting volcano (with water) at Nissan last year. It was very popular because it was 100 degrees in the shade. Oh wait...there wasn't any shade!!!

I've seen working volcanos, motorized bar stools, full tiki bars, an entire living room suite, dump trucks full of sand, commercial frozen drink makers, duel goose neck trailers parked side-by-side with a beach motif, and a guy from the Atlanta area that owned a pool store set up an aboveground pool filled by a water truck. It all depends on the level of effort you want to put in. (I keep saying I want to do nothing but mooch from the others cause you can usually eat and drink for free just by making a few friends.)

We usually set a canopy with assorted decorations (stuff found in dollar stores, party stores, nautical stores, wal-mart, yard sales, and Margaritaville.com) several bags of play sand, a coleman grill to cook Margaritaville shrimp (we use cake pans to fry and then toss them for easy cleanup), cooler, chairs, music, confetti for effect, flowered shirts and leis..........generally keep it simple for easy cleanup and repacking.

We bring :
10 x 10 canopy
Portable Tiki Bar w/ all the fixins'
camp chairs
kiddie pool & water
fire & ice grill
coolers for beer, mixers, food
beer
mixers
food
decorations - palm trees, tikis, banners, posters, etc.
buffet tables
Blenders
power pak for blenders
and most important
our potty tent & potty

Oh yeah, our friends bring stuff too!

IrishPirate wrote:We bring :
10 x 10 canopy
Portable Tiki Bar w/ all the fixins'
camp chairs
kiddie pool & water
fire & ice grill
coolers for beer, mixers, food
beer
mixers
food
decorations - palm trees, tikis, banners, posters, etc.
buffet tables
Blenders
power pak for blenders
and most important
our potty tent & potty

Oh yeah, our friends bring stuff too!

Almost forgot music system!

have you seen pics of the Leaky Tiki????

sunseeker wrote:have you seen pics of the Leaky Tiki????

a hot tub?! that's awesome.

just another small thing to add, last year we saw a guy with a margarita bong attached to their tiki hut. it was a nice little addition.

not just any hot tub...a working hot tub with a working tiki bar ....pulled behind a big truck through the parking lot....