Heads up, Houston sports lovers: The Tailgate is almost here. CultureMap’s signature sports celebration kicks off Thursday, September 11, at 8th Wonder in EaDo, and trust us, you’ll want to be part of the action.

Not a die-hard football fan? No worries. Whether you’re into hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball — or just incredible food and drinks — this party’s for you.

Every Tailgate ticket includes delicious bites from local restaurants, premium complimentary beverages, and plenty of fun activities. Snag a VIP ticket for the ultimate experience: early entry, a private VIP bar, a special meet-and-greet with some of Houston’s top athletes, plus extra perks to make the night even better.

And before the big night, you can get in on the competition. Voting is open now for our Top Taco Tournament. where local taco all-stars go head-to-head in an online bracket showdown. Think of it as a foodie Sweet 16, with the champion revealed live at The Tailgate. Click here to cast your vote.

Still hungry? Some of Houston’s hottest restaurants and chefs will be serving up tailgate-inspired creations that you’ll get to taste during the event.

Here’s just a taste of what’s cooking at The Tailgate:

• Assorted sandwiches from Antone's Famous Po' Boys
• A Bad Chx food truck serving chicken tenders and cheesy chicken sandwich sliders
• Dry-aged beef kielbasa-stuffed pierogis with honey jalapeño sour cream from Bayou Butchers
• BB's Tex-Orleans is bringing smoked boudin links, fresh from The Best Stop and served with Creole mustard and saltines, and Maw Maw's chicken and sausage gumbo
• Pork and chicken sliders from Christian's Tailgate
• Classic Chubbies and Sweethearts (buttermilk-fried chicken tossed in bacon jam and Chubbie sauce) from Chubbies Sliders
• Motherland pizza from Coastline Pizza
• Common Bond's shrimp & grits: blackened Gulf shrimp, cheese grits, Creole sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, cherry tomatoes, and herb salad
• Savory crawfish beignets from Crawfish Cafe
• La Calle Tacos' carnitas street tacos
• Wood-grilled chicken and steak tacos with grilled onions, pico de gallo, and a salsa bar from Little Rey
• Gulf shrimp and Texas peach ceviche from Local Foods
• Loro's pulled pork sliders with pineapple adobo
• Oxtail and mac & cheese egg rolls from Peachez HTX
• PHAT Eatery's Malaysian chicken curry
• Smashburgers from Pincho Burgers + Kebabs
• Cheese and pepperoni pizza from Pizaro's Pizza
• Russo's New York Pizzeria will have Sicilian arancini and cup char pepperoni al vodka: Crispy, golden, thin-cut crust, loaded with smoky cup & char pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, and scratch-made vodka sauce
• Pickled green tomato crawfish salad on a roll from Saint Arnold Brewing Company
• Savoy is bringing an array of snacks: lollipop lamb chops, mini lamb and mini seafood empanadas, chicken sliders, and both buffalo and barbecue wings
• TASTE Kitchen + Bar will also have lamb chops
• Nashville Hot chicken sliders on Hawaiian rolls with Thunder Fries (seasoned waffle fries with spicy mayo and ancho chile honey butter) from The Waffle Bus
• American Roadside sliders and peri peri "pulled" chicken sliders from Traveler's Cart
• An array of breaded and fried chicken wings in homemade sauces from Wing It.

To wet your whistle, there will be THC seltzers, beer from our sponsor FLIGHT by Yuengling, and other fun beverages, courtesy of our sponsors: Patron Cristalino neat; Teeling Whiskey Single Malt-Single Pot Still neat; Teeling Whiskey Mule (Teeling Small Batch, ginger beer, lime juice); St-Germain Hugo Spritz (St-Germain Liqueur Martini Prosecco, soda water, garnished with a mint sprig and lemon wheel); Patron Ranch Water (Patron Silver, lime juice, sparkling mineral water); and Patron Linebacker Margarita (Patron Silver, margarita mix, pineapple juice, Tajin rim, garnished with a lime wedge).

Expect activations and appearances from your favorite Houston teams, including the Texans, Astros, and Dynamo and Dash football clubs.

We'll keep you up to date on all things Tailgate-related in a special editorial series of stories leading up to the event.

General Admission tickets start at just $25 for early birds (while they last) and jump to $35 at full price. Want the VIP treatment? Lock in $45 early bird VIP tickets before they sell out, or pay $60 full price for the all-access experience.

Get your tickets now before they sell out, and we’ll see you on September 11.

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The Tailgate is sponsored by FLIGHT by Yuengling, Puttshack, Mizzen+Main, Sysco To Go, Antone's Famous Po' Boys, NXT LVL Events, Patrón Tequila, Teeling Whiskey, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, and more to be announced.