by RACHEL HAHN
video by MIKA ALTSKAN AND MATVEY FIKS
A spirited itinerary before, during, and after the tailgate
Spurs Up! How to Have a
Winning Football Weekend in Columbia, South Carolina
Gamecock loyalty is legendary. Equally so is the lively tailgate scene at the University of South Carolina. On any given Saturday in autumn, Columbia becomes a city-wide block party during which students stream out of dorms clad in garnet and black, breweries like River Rat spill over with day drinkers, and Gamecock Park, a popular tailgate lot, becomes a sea of school spirit.
You don’t have to be an alum to enjoy game day in Soda City. Everyone is welcome to participate (even if you’re wearing orange), and the best way to experience Columbia’s tailgate scene is to make a weekend of it.
Kick off the festivities by getting outfitted at Miss Cocky. The Main Street boutique offers affordable and festive game-day dresses and other fashionable finds so you blend in with the crowd in style. Hoodies, T-shirts, totes, and belts are available at Barefoot Campus Outfitters, which customizes tees if you prefer to stand out. Gear secured, you can move on to another important pregame pastime: eating.
Before the coin toss, fuel up at Doc’s Barbeque and Southern Buffet. Founded by the late Dr. J. Frank Martin, Doc’s is open on Saturdays only on game days, an homage to Martin’s love of USC. Here you can enjoy a hearty meal worthy of a linebacker—pulled pork, sliced brisket, fried catfish, and smoked chicken. Residents will also tell you a game day isn’t complete without a visit to J’s Corner, a gas-station-turned-bar near Williams-Brice Stadium. Grab a bite and a beer while playing cornhole on the patio.
Next, chug over to the most exclusive tailgate spot in the city, the Cockaboose Railroad, where twenty-two Illinois Central Railroad cabooses have been transformed into luxury entertaining spaces. You have to know one of the private owners to get an interior tour, but strolling past is worth the trip, especially if you’re making a pilgrimage to Garnet Way anyway to cheer on the players and band as they enter the stadium.
“The best way to experience Columbia’s tailgate scene is
to make a weekend of it”
Plan your game day getaway at
ExperienceColumbiaSC.com
Because fall doesn’t just mean football, Columbia offers a rare tailgate opportunity: the chance to attend the inimitable South Carolina State Fair before or after one home game annually. This year, South Carolina hosts the University of Florida on October 14, the perfect opportunity to start the day with an elephant ear, cheer on the team, and then return to the fair to see the 4-H livestock winners and ride the Ferris wheel.
Of course, the party doesn’t end when the final whistle blows. If you want to relive the game’s highlights (or forget the lowlights), head to Steel Hands Brewing for a last pint, perhaps the Sandstorm Game Day Lager, named for the student body’s favorite electronic song, “Sandstorm,” played at the height of intense moments.
After post-game festivities in Five Points, the Vista, or on Main Street, head back to Graduate Hotel, just steps from USC’s campus, for a few hours of shut-eye before indulging in a Sunday morning brunch (Gourmet Shop, anyone?) and hitting the road.
Spurs Up! How to Have a
Winning Football Weekend in Columbia, South Carolina
A spirited itinerary before, during, and after the tailgate
“The best way to experience Columbia’s tailgate scene is
to make a weekend of it”
Plan your game day getaway at
ExperienceColumbiaSC.com
Gamecock loyalty is legendary. Equally so is the lively tailgate scene at the University of South Carolina. On any given Saturday in autumn, Columbia becomes a city-wide block party during which students stream out of dorms clad in garnet and black, breweries like River Rat spill over with day drinkers, and Gamecock Park, a popular tailgate lot, becomes a sea of school spirit.
You don’t have to be an alum to enjoy game day in Soda City. Everyone is welcome to participate (even if you’re wearing orange), and the best way to experience Columbia’s tailgate scene is to make a weekend of it.
Kick off the festivities by getting outfitted at Miss Cocky. The Main Street boutique offers affordable and festive game-day dresses and other fashionable finds so you blend in with the crowd in style. Hoodies, T-shirts, totes, and belts are available at Barefoot Campus Outfitters, which customizes tees if you prefer to stand out. Gear secured, you can move on to another important pregame pastime: eating.
Before the coin toss, fuel up at Doc’s Barbeque and Southern Buffet. Founded by the late Dr. J. Frank Martin, Doc’s is open on Saturdays only on game days, an homage to Martin’s love of USC. Here you can enjoy a hearty meal worthy of a linebacker—pulled pork, sliced brisket, fried catfish, and smoked chicken. Residents will also tell you a game day isn’t complete without a visit to J’s Corner, a gas-station-turned-bar near Williams-Brice Stadium. Grab a bite and a beer while playing cornhole on the patio.
Next, chug over to the most exclusive tailgate spot in the city, the Cockaboose Railroad, where twenty-two Illinois Central Railroad cabooses have been transformed into luxury entertaining spaces. You have to know one of the private owners to get an interior tour, but strolling past is worth the trip, especially if you’re making a pilgrimage to Garnet Way anyway to cheer on the players and band as they enter the stadium.
Gamecock loyalty is legendary. Equally so is the lively tailgate scene at the University of South Carolina. On any given Saturday in autumn, Columbia becomes a city-wide block party during which students stream out of dorms clad in garnet and black, breweries like River Rat spill over with day drinkers, and Gamecock Park, a popular tailgate lot, becomes a sea of school spirit.
You don’t have to be an alum to enjoy game day in Soda City. Everyone is welcome to participate (even if you’re wearing orange), and the best way to experience Columbia’s tailgate scene is to make a weekend of it.
Kick off the festivities by getting outfitted at Miss Cocky. The Main Street boutique offers affordable and festive game-day dresses and other fashionable finds so you blend in with the crowd in style. Hoodies, T-shirts, totes, and belts are available at Barefoot Campus Outfitters, which customizes tees if you prefer to stand out. Gear secured, you can move on to another important pregame pastime: eating.
Before the coin toss, fuel up at Doc’s Barbeque and Southern Buffet. Founded by the late Dr. J. Frank Martin, Doc’s is open on Saturdays only on game days, an homage to Martin’s love of USC. Here you can enjoy a hearty meal worthy of a linebacker—pulled pork, sliced brisket, fried catfish, and smoked chicken. Residents will also tell you a game day isn’t complete without a visit to J’s Corner, a gas-station-turned-bar near Williams-Brice Stadium. Grab a bite and a beer while playing cornhole on the patio.
Next, chug over to the most exclusive tailgate spot in the city, the Cockaboose Railroad, where twenty-two Illinois Central Railroad cabooses have been transformed into luxury entertaining spaces. You have to know one of the private owners to get an interior tour, but strolling past is worth the trip, especially if you’re making a pilgrimage to Garnet Way anyway to cheer on the players and band as they enter the stadium.