History.com: Tailgating: How the Pre Game Tradition Can Be Traced to Ancient Times

The ritual grew as ownership of automobiles and then mass production of portable grills and plastic coolers soared. Tailgating before college and professional football games is an American tradition. Temporary tent cities pop up in stadium parking lots; a haze of charcoal smoke fills the air along with laughter, banter and the aroma of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. The modern tailgate has roots in the fall harvest celebrations of Ancient Greece and Rome. Those events were marked with music, community and plenty of food and drink for a final feast before winter's onset.