Last week, Festival Squad stumbled upon a new shuttle company in Denver called Mile High Tailgators. The company, started earlier this year by Joe Ozimek, is one that takes a unique spin on getting its patrons safely to and from Red Rocks. Unlike most shuttle companies headed to Red Rocks, Mile High Tailgators will provide you the full tailgating experience at no extra charge. I personally had the pleasure of getting a ride with Mile High Tailgators to see ODESZA and I am here to tell you all about it.
The Plan
Since we were doing this trip as individuals versus a group, Mile High Tailgators had us meet at a local bar in the Denver area. All 11 people arrived and had the opportunity to meet eachother or grab a drink/food inside the bar and get comfortable. The Mile High Tailgator van is all seats, and it was pretty comfortable. We made sure we had everyone, we signed waivers and we were on our way.
Stop One: Prepping for the Pregame
Something that stood out to me about Mile High Tailgators is that we made one stop at a liquor store to get fully prepped for the tailgating ahead. While Mile High Tailgators will not provide alcohol or food, they’ll provide all the fun. Stopping was essential for some of us who needed to grab lemons, mixers of extra beer. After a quick pit stop we were on our way.
Stop Two: The Box Office
What I appreciated about this stop was the serious consideration that this company had for its riders. The box office stop took about 3 minutes, but it made the day for those who needed to pick up their tickets. Rather than have this group walk back to the entrance, we pulled over, let them grab their tickets and then were ready to get set up.
The Tailgator Party
Now this is the bread and butter of Mile High Tailgators: the party. As soon as we got to the South Lot, we parked next to the other shuttle buses and hopped out. Our group waited around for about 10 minutes as the Mile High Tailgator team set up the following:
- DJ mixer + speakers
- Canopies for shade or rain
- Bags
- Table with cups for flip cup or beer pong
- Grill (in case anyone wanted to make food)
- Ice with a cooler to throw in your beers or anything else to keep cold
Once we were set up, the party was in full gear. All the other people around us from other shuttles came over to get in on the fun. We were the life of the South Lot for sure because not one bus had the set up that we did. After a couple of hours of making new friends, playing beer pong and dancing to some music, we were ready to go inside. Anything we wanted to leave behind (jackets, backpacks, food, beer, etc) could be left with the drive who would remain in the same spot the whole night.
Heading Home
When the night was done, we were able to find the shuttle van and we even had a little dance party in the lot as we waited for our group to come back. Leaving the lot was easy and we headed back to the same bar that we started at, and everyone went their separate ways.
All in all, I had an awesome time. I was able to get to and from Red Rocks stress free, I was able to have a full pregame/tailgating party before entering into Red Rocks, I was able to leave my things behind and get home hassle free.
What makes Mile High Tailgators different?
Pretty much everything. I have used other limo type shuttle services before, and all they do is take you to and from Red Rocks. In fact, some of them drop you and all of your stuff off and then leave to grab another group. We actually saw this happen a few times. But even if they don’t leave you stranded, when you get there, you have nothing to do but wait because the only fun is on the bus in transit. I have also gone the uber route. Getting there is simple, but getting back is a nightmare that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Mile High Tailgators offers affordable transit with a complete party attached. Whats not to love? Need pricing and more info? Check out our first article, or head to the Mile High Tailgator website where you can book online.
Thanks Mile High Tailgators, for the BEST Red Rocks experience to date! We’ll see you again soon! Party professionally and SQUAD UP!