Are you ready for some brats? What about chili, the cornhole game or serious team spirit?

Kelli Meckley certainly is. Come game time, she and her football super-fan friends are sure to show off their team colors—purple and gold—with everything from football jerseys to leggings, feather earrings and tutus at their next tailgate party. Clearly, they aren’t the typical tailgaters.

“It’s all girls (up to 12 of them) and one guy,” she says. “He cooks for us.” He also drives to the site with the condiments, signs, napkins, trash bags and grill. Meckley, human resources and accounting manager for Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Bloomington at Mall of America, is in charge of the chips.

All over America, weekend games draw fans to tailgates of all sorts. Here are seven tips that can help make your tailgate experience great. And wherever your favorite team plays, be sure to kick back after the game at one of our Country Inns & Suites By Carlson locations.