Georgia-Florida Game Brings In 100,000 Partying Fans
But in Jacksonville, Florida, it a different kind of party.
On Saturday, Nov. 2, Georgia and Florida play a college football game that has earned the nickname of World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. And Jacksonville officials are ready for the onslaught of Dogs and Gators fans, many of whom are just there to party.
The Jacksonville Landing In The Prime Party Place
More than 100,000 people pour into downtown for it, many of whom drink and party at the waterfront Jacksonville Landing.
Several of these don’t have tickets to the game and don’t even plan on going to it; they are there to tailgate. City officials in Jacksonville are prepared for this, as it’s an annual event, the biggest one in the city for the year.
There have been some incidents in the recent past and city officials keep a close watch on people and have worked to make The Landing – a shopping area with restaurant and bars – the focal point rather than have spill out all over he area.
The game got its nickname decades ago when a sportswriter, after walking through the crowd, reported to his fellow scribes when he arrived in the press box, “it’s like the world’s largest cocktail party out there.”
A few years ago, SEC officials asked CBS, which televises the game, not to refer to it as its nickname. There’s been an effort to change the nickname but because it’s not an official title, that has not proved to be successful.
Plus, fans will call it that because they like the name. But officials will be watching the revelers to make sure things are safe for everyone.
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