Auburn Gameday: a family-friendly itinerary

 

 

        Do you dream of taking your kids to an Auburn Football game but feel intimidated by all the gameday activities? This is the blog for you! I will highlight the top activities for families with young children to have the most fun with the least meltdowns.

    My first tip is finding a great and unique place to stay for the weekend. We recommend a place within 30 minutes of Auburn for a quick commute. Another bonus is 22 acres of private wooded land for kids to stretch and explore when not on campus. Amenities such as a patio with a hot tub, fire pit, grill, outdoor shower, and outdoor TV are the cherry on top for family fun. This magical place does exist; it's Auburn Glamping! You can check availability at auburnglamping.com.  

Auburn Glamping Patio

Now let's get to the gameday itinerary:

Step 1: Coffee

Make sure you start the day right with a home cooked breakfast and coffee at the glamping dome or wonder into Auburn and try a wonderful coffee shop such as Well Red, Southern Greens, or Corner Office. You can also try Big Blue Bagel for a wonderful kid friendly breakfast. 

            Well Red                

Step 2: Parking

Once you are fueled up, you will want to find parking. Make sure you have about $40 in cash. We recommend trying the little church on the corner of West Glenn and Donahue. You will be on the North side of campus for easy in and out from the glamping dome property. 

Step 3: Gameday Pins

From here head south on Donahue to Haley Center bookstore to pick up your gameday pin. These are made unique for each game and are totally free! They make a great memento. Side note: I studied speech language pathology at Auburn University, so we stopped by the clinic for this photo. It's fun to let our kids see some of our history.

Gameday pins at Haley Center

Step 4: Tiger Walk

Tiger Walk starts 2 hours before gametime. This is when the cheerleaders, tiger paws, coaches and players, led by Aubie walk down Donahue from the training building to the stadium. There are barricades on the street and fans line up on each side. Auburn people are usually very friendly, and you can often get kids up close to see their favorite player or Aubie. 

Step 5: Tailgate Time

Now the best way to tailgate is with friends who have a great setup with snacks and a TV but there are also other options. There are several food trucks near Haley Center, the Student Center, and the stadium and plenty of space to grab some food and have your own little tailgate party. You may also know of some company tailgates or if you are an Auburn alum you likely have a tailgate option from your former college. 

Step 6: Eagle Flight and Pregame

The Eagle Flight is iconic and original to Auburn. It is a must see for kids and was my son Avett's favorite part of the day. The eagle is typically released around 20 minutes before kickoff, but you may want to get to your seats at least 30 minutes early to be safe. Another great part of the pregame is the Auburn University Marching Band performance and pregame videos for the football team. Honestly our kids were most entertained during this time.

Another Favorite part of the pregame events was several Aubie sightings. My daughter Ollie's favorite part of the day was when Aubie played a cat and mouse type game with a giant banana and a gorilla. Yes, you read that right.

The game is also a lot of fun! Especially when Auburn scores several touchdowns.

Step 7: Toomer's Corner

Full disclosure, our kids didn't make it this long. But I do think some kids can enjoy the full game or leave early and head on to Toomer's if it looks like an Auburn victory. You can even fuel up again with some ice cream or lemonade while you wait for the game to finish. There is something so magical about being amongst the trees covered in toilet paper with your Auburn family. Kids will love this part of the day and likely remember it for years to come!

Step 8: Head back to the Dome

You've made it! And the kids are tired but so happy. Now you can get out of campus easy from your parking spot and head back to the dome. This is a great time for any little kids to get a short nap. You can plan to cook dinner or pick up a pizza from Lake Martin Pizza Co. just a few minutes from the glamping dome. Once you're all fed enjoy the hot tub and time by the fire roasting marshmallows and sharing your favorite parts of the day. Congratulations you survived with only a few tears and beautiful memories that will last a lifetime!