BEST TAILGATING

October 07, 2002

[Ole Miss]On Football Saturdays as many as 25,000 Mississippi supporters gather for pregame food and drink in the Grove, 10 acres of lawn, shaded by stately oaks, in the heart of the university's campus in Oxford. There is no more beautiful spot to tailgate, nor one richer in tradition; the Grove has been the site of pregame picnicking for more than half a century. The fans start arriving by car at 4 a.m., many dressed formally, as if they were headed to a wedding. They greet old friends and classmates amid barbecue grills, silver candelabras and plenty of bourbon. Two hours before kickoff they cheer wildly as Rebels players march by on their way to the stadium. After the game, win or lose, many in the crowd return to the Grove to party until midnight. They have one thing in common: They can't wait until the next football Saturday.—Glenn Kaplan