The Great American Tailgate lands at the National Liberty Museum on Thursday, July 9 — a ticketed outdoor celebration of Philadelphia sports, food, and community in the heart of Old City, with a new exhibition debuting alongside it. The Great American Tailgate runs 5 to 9 pm, with a VIP hour from 5 to 6 pm and remarks from Dr. Alaine Arnott, the museum’s President and CEO, at 7:30.

Tailgate Food from Kampar, Franklin Fountain, and More

Tailgate-inspired fare comes from Kampar, Amy’s Pastelillos, Revolution House, and Franklin Fountain, alongside live music and lawn games spread across the museum grounds at 321 Chestnut Street. It’s the kind of lineup that turns a museum courtyard into an actual tailgate — elevated versions of the food you’d want in a parking lot before kickoff, from some of Old City’s most dependable kitchens.

Sports Jawn, In the Arena, and the Debut of 2076

The Great American Tailgate ticket also includes access to Sports Jawn, a new exhibition built around artifacts connected to Philadelphia sports icons — Mike Schmidt, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Joel Embiid, and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz among them. The museum’s existing In the Arena exhibition runs alongside it, examining how sports have become some of the most familiar sites of collective gathering in American life — a theme that threads directly into the tailgate itself.

The real debut of the night is 2076: The Future of Free Assembly, the fourth installment in the museum’s ongoing Forgotten Freedom: Assembly at 250 series. Where Sports Jawn looks at how Philadelphia has gathered around sports, 2076 looks fifty years ahead — interactive scenarios asking how Americans might gather, connect, and engage with one another in an increasingly interconnected future, and what happens to the freedom of assembly itself along the way. It’s a genuinely thoughtful anchor for an event built around exactly that: people, together, in one place.

For the Great American Tailgate, grab tickets, get there for the VIP hour if you can, and stay through Dr. Arnott’s remarks at 7:30. Between the food, the sports history, and a brand-new exhibition asking what gathering even looks like in fifty years, the Great American Tailgate is a genuinely full night — come hungry, stay curious.

About Post Author

Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

See author's posts