For Kenny Pearson, the game day magic of tailgating began in 1988, when he bought his first season tickets for Oregon Ducks football — and started tailgating.
“We’d park in the main lot — before the construction — with a motorhome, great guys in there,” Pearson recollects. “It’s always fun. We try to mix it up, and it’s fun to see everybody.”
Throughout his 30-plus years of tailgating, Pearson has seen time and again how game day connects generations, brings people together, and can even reunite old friends. While Pearson was long-time friends with former Ducks wide receiver Ken Nichols (No. 80, 1984), it took a yell in Section 10 to reconnect the two.
“All of a sudden I hear a familiar voice behind me shout, ‘Run the damn ball!’” says Pearson. “I turned around and there he was.” Nichols came over to Pearson’s tailgate, and he’s been a fixture ever since (along with the giant Tracktown pizzas he brings).
“He’s basically my kids’ uncle,” says Nichols. “We’ve been to national championships, been to Glendale, Dallas, the Rose Bowl, you name it.”
And that’s the magic.
Tailgating is the warm sunny day as summer winds down and a field goal kick snaps the ball way up, along with the decibels in the famously intimidating bullhorn of Autzen. Tailgating is also the drizzly October Saturday and the surprise of a sunny, crisp afternoon in November. It’s the shared commiseration of a Ducks loss, and the absolute elation of a well-earned Oregon victory.
For Ken Nichols, the brotherhood he felt with his Duck teammates lives on in a camaraderie with Duck fans in Eugene and beyond. Now living in the San Francisco Bay area, Nichols makes it a priority to come up to Eugene for home games.
“I used to go to four different tailgates,” says Nichols. Now he mostly goes to Pearson’s.
“Everybody goes there at some point in the day.”
New and expanded facilities have shrunk the amount of available space for tailgates. Many tailgates that used to be closer to the stadium now convene in the parking lot across from the Eugene Science Center. Many grow over time, from a pickup bed to a motorhome. Duck devotees set up green and yellow flags, and some even give their rigs custom paint jobs.
But only one set of Duck fans is known for their cookies.
Daisy Ducks
Since 1972, the Daisy Ducks have put together goodie bags for many Oregon teams, cheerleaders, and band performers, as a snack when traveling for away games. At one point, more than 26,000 cookies came out of Daisy Duck ovens, though nowadays the bags usually contain other goodies too, such as oranges and granola bars.
The hundreds of Daisies are mostly in Oregon (mostly women, but a growing number of men too). Wherever you find Duck fans, don’t be surprised if you find a Daisy. And sometimes a Daisy who flew away makes her way back to her best nest in the Willamette Valley, like Karla Grandahl.
“I knew about the Daisies growing up,” she says. “They were the grandmas who baked cookies for the team, and that’s how it started. Now we have two fully funded scholarships, and we’re trying to build on that.”
While Grandahl grew up in Eugene, her Canadian parents weren’t particularly sports-minded. In junior high and high school, she went to games with friends and found their team spirit was in her own heart, too.
“It’s always the Ducks. Eugene feels like a Texas town with Friday night lights,” says Grandahl. “Every business has stickers, and there’s green and yellow everywhere. I got a lot in osmosis.”
Good thing, too. After Grandahl’s parents moved her back to Canada, she’d still pay a dollar a minute to call Eugene long distance and ask who won the game.
Grandahl moved back to Eugene in 2024. Even while she was gone, she stayed involved with the Ducks — and with the Daisy Ducks.
“For a few years I joked that I was the Daisy ambassador to Arizona.”
During the school year, Daisy Ducks meet for a weekly lunch, which usually includes a speaker. Knowing that Grandahl had experience in marketing and social media, the Daisy Ducks asked her to present during three seasons.
Nowadays Grandahl manages Facebook groups for Oregon Ducks 365 and the Daisy Ducks Booster Club. She’s helping the club revamp their website and make it easier for new members to sign up, follow news, and pay annual dues.
This year the Daisy Ducks are working on building up their game day presence. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the more they build up support for the club, the more they can do that benefits UO athletes, such as a new business sponsorship program they’re launching.
“I’m passionate about growing the Daisies. It’s a special organization,” says Grandahl. “We’re always trying to do more to support student athletes. And keep up the goodie bags.”
Tailgating at home, Autzen, or elsewhere
While the art and joy of tailgating is renowned around Autzen, you don’t have to be near the stadium to bring out the best of your Duck spirit. You can set up a great tailgate-style event at home too — or leave the logistics to someone else entirely, so you can focus on the fun.
“Football tailgates are a great way to connect with fellow Ducks, build community, and show your Oregon pride,” says Raphe Beck, executive director of the UO Alumni Association.
This fall, their Mighty Oregon Tailgates bring Duck joy to select away games, such as Penn State and Washington. If the Ducks make another post-season run, Beck notes, they’ll add additional away tailgates, but they bring their event A-game to home games, too.
“At Autzen Stadium, we host tailgates for a variety of alumni programs, including reunions and affinity network gatherings,” says Beck. “Plus, alumni chapters across the country host weekly watch parties, bringing their Duck spirit wherever they are.”
For home tailgates and watch parties of any Duck sport, a theme helps, says Kenny Pearson. So does staying flexible, especially when Oregon’s fickle fall weather is in play.
“We do a theme every week, but we figure it out on the fly,” he explains. “My specialty is Hawaiian steak, chicken and rice, and a macaroni salad. We mix it up, though. We’ve done burgers and dogs. And a fried food day, when we brought in deep fryers.”
Pearson and his wife live in the Albany area, and they drive down their 36-foot 2000 Thor Residency motorhome for game days. While they used to do more cooking on-site, now they do more cooking at home and pack it up for reheating and serving. That frees up more time for being with friends old and new.
What to serve also depends on game time. Fans such as Pearson might be at their spot six hours before kickoff. When a tailgate starts rocking in the morning, they bust out breakfast.
Along with a bloody mary bar, Pearson says, “we’ve done an omelet bar, breakfast sandwiches, and breakfast burritos.”
“As the year gets on, we have a standby of apple cider and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, along with hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps,” adds Pearson. “We leave it open, and pretty much everybody brings something.”
Pearson also checks in with the parking staff, extending an open invitation to stop by for a plate, a beverage, and some time to relax. New folks and visitors are always welcome too, from fellow college students when Pearson’s kids were at school, to out-of-towners from Michigan, Virginia, and beyond — even fans of the competing team.
Decorations matter too, whether on your home or your motorhome. Pearson regularly hangs signs, flies flags and streamers, and some years puts out a large banner.
When the late summer days bring the heat, they’ll run air conditioning to make sure people don’t overheat. During those chilly game days, fire pits and portable heaters can keep everyone warm.
When planning your own game day event, Vicki Edwards from Parties to Go suggests keeping location in mind first and foremost.
“Think about how to set up the party, traffic flow, and decor,” she says. ”Next, think about the food and drinks, and of course who to invite.”
Depending on the guests and event space, you might create different zones, like one for folks to gather around a TV, an alcohol zone, or a fenced-in spot where kids can play freely on their own.
As you invite guests, let them know the theme as well as what you’re providing. Don’t be afraid to give suggestions on what to bring, and don’t forget to think comprehensively about who’s attending.
“Know who’s going to be there,” says Pearson. “A buddy and I love hot buffalo wings. We made the mistake of not having mild ones for the kids.”
For seating, experience has taught Pearson to rely on folding, stackable tables that he can tuck into his motorhome’s cargo area. Instead of folding chairs, he finds that stackable resin chairs are easier to transport, store, and arrange.
And a real game changer? Disposable elastic tablecloths don’t blow away on windy days.
Tailgating is about the party, the food, the drinks. It’s about the conditions on game day, whether you’re still glowing from last week’s win or grimacing from last season’s loss. No matter what, though, tailgating is about something bigger.
“It’s the friendships, the relationships, meeting new people,” says Pearson. “Through Ken Nichols, a ton of old players come out and join us. They’re just great regular people. It’s the people. We had friends come out last year, bringing folks from out of state. And we said, ‘Welcome to the family.’”
More ways to enjoy game day and show off your Duck love
Duck gear
The Duck Store, uoduckstore.com
The Neighborhood Eugene Sustainability Team (N.E.S.T.), eugenenest.com
Bars, pubs & more
Side Bar, 1680 Coburg Rd #108, sidebareugene.com
Wild Duck Cafe, 1419 Villard St., wildduck.biz
Rentals
Parties To Go
2877 Chad Dr. #B, parties-to-go.com
Tailgate experiences
Mighty Oregon Tailgates, uoalumni.com
Fan groups
Oregon Ducks 365 Facebook Group, Oregon Ducks 365
Daisy Ducks Booster Club, Daisy Ducks FB daisyducks.org
