Tailgating is arguably one of the best parts of football season, with good food, music, fun outfits and everyone talking about the game ahead. The first LSU football game is over a week away at Clemson, but why wait? Baton Rougeans can kick off football season early with Sweet Baton Rouge‘s seventh Annual Ultimate Tailgate at Perkins Rowe this Saturday, August 23.

“It’s the perfect place to gear up for game day,” says Meredith Waguespack, event founder and owner of Sweet Baton Rouge.

Waguespack got the idea to start Ultimate Tailgate in 2019, when outdoor markets were becoming all the rage. She dreamed up a game-day version to highlight her business, Sweet Baton Rouge, which she first opened in 2020 in Electric Depot and moved to Perkins Rowe in 2023. Now, Ultimate Tailgate is sponsored by Visit Baton Rouge and has grown far from its origins, with a live DJ and a podcasting event anticipated for this weekend. The live podcast from Trulea Entertainment aims for the feel of ESPN College GameDay.

“I had a vision to keep this going every year,” she says. “It’s something that sparked before I ever even had a storefront as a way to get our game day collection out to people, but also to showcase other local vendors.”

Ultimate Tailgate planning begins in May, giving Waguespack all summer to prepare. This year, the party will feature more than 40 vendors, including artists, boutiques and photobooth-esque spots. She says each vendor fulfills a role in creating the perfect tailgating event. If one vendor can’t come from the previous year, she’ll reach out to someone with a similar niche. Even caffeine fiends have something to look forward to, with Harvest Coffee on the lineup for this weekend.

“We really tie in the full, ‘ultimate’ experience,” she says, “from shopping for game day, to eating and tailgating like you would on game day, and having that college experience with the podcast.”

And if all that retail therapy makes you hungry, there will also be a jambalaya cook-off on-site. Grab a ticket to sample competing recipes and pick your favorite. Two winners will be chosen based on attendees’ votes.

Ticket sales from the jambalaya contest go toward The Petey’s Scholarship, a fund Waguespack began to help sponsor a student who struggles either financially or academically. She says she knows first-hand that it can be difficult to maintain good grades as a full-time student while also working to make ends meet. She hopes that The Petey’s Scholarship will relieve some financial stress and pave the way for students’ future. Last October, by way of several fundraisers throughout the year, including Ultimate Tailgate, The Petey’s Scholarship was able to gift $3,500 to a recipient.

Sweet Baton Rouge’s Ultimate Tailgate is Saturday, August 23, from 2 to 7 p.m. in Perkins Rowe. Tickets for the third annual jambalaya contest can be purchased before you go for $8. It’s free to attend Ultimate Tailgate, but vendors will have food, art and clothes for sale at their booths, so be sure to bring your wallet and an appetite.

This article originally appeared in 225 magazine’s 225 Daily newsletter.