Grange Grove on Illini football game day is a budget-conscious, family-friendly bucket list activity
When the chill in the morning air arrives and beer-consumption is well underway by 9 a.m., you know it is officially Illini football season in Champaign-Urbana. And while you might not look at tailgating as something your family normally partakes in, and you may not even plan on going inside the stadium for the game, heading to Grange Grove in the hours before an Illini football game is a fall bucket list item for many Champaign-Urbana families.
Grange Grove is located off of First Street at Kirby Avenue, just west of the stadium. Normally gated and locked up, it opens in the hours before each game and becomes a hubbub of activity with people of all ages decked out in their orange and blue.
The earlier you head to Grange Grove, the more scheduled programming you will see. Grange Grove opens at 7 a.m. for tailgating regardless of what time the game kicks off (if you do have a reserved tailgating spot in Grange Grove, you can set up the night before).
The schedule is roughly the same for each game, regardless of kickoff time:
- Three hours before kickoff, the Kids Zone opens (inflatables, games, face painting, etc.). Using an 11 a.m. kickoff as an example, this would begin at 8 a.m.
- About 10-15 minutes later, there is a drumline performance.
- Two and a half hours before kickoff, the Illini Walk takes place as the football players and coaching staff enter the stadium. Cheerleaders are there for a general “pep rally” atmosphere.
- Two hours before kickoff, live music and the live radio show begin. Meanwhile, the Kids Zone activities are still going strong and starting to get more busy now.
- About 50 minutes before kickoff, the Marching Illini march into the stadium with a performance. Move towards the gates near the stadium to make sure your kids can see this up close; you do not have to actually walk through the gates to see.
- Activities stop at kickoff.
All about parking
The number one objection we hear from families that would like to check out Grange Grove (but don’t) has to do with parking. Parking can be expensive, and is even harder to swallow if you’re not staying for the game. Our go-to solution here is to head to Grange Grove early, where you at least have the possibility of scoring free parking further north of Memorial Stadium. Please double-check the regulations where you’re parking to ensure you won’t be ticketed or towed during the game. You’ll want to park no later than about 8 a.m. on gameday for this strategy to work; later in the day and it will (almost) be a lost cause.
Another option would be to have someone drop you off near Memorial Stadium. This ensures the shortest walk possible. This person could come back and pick you up later, or park further away and do the walk on their own.
Now for a best-kept secret: you can take the MTD to Grange Grove — or at least only a block or two away. For $2 round trip, you can board this special gameday bus at a few designated stops near or on campus, and ride back at any point during the game (expect to wait no more than about 15 minutes for your departure). Service begins two hours before kickoff, so if your goal is to experience Grange Grove, you probably want to catch the earliest bus you can. Note that there are two special gameday routes, for stops in Champaign and for stops in Urbana.
We recently tried riding the MTD to a Big Ten game, boarding in downtown Champaign — on Church just west of the Church/Neil intersection — which is conveniently close to the Hill Street parking garage. When we caught the bus one hour before kickoff, there were only five other riders on the entire bus. A big thumbs up from us for the entire experience.
Upon arrival
You can’t miss the massive gates welcoming you to the grove. On our way in we passed various area food trucks.
Upon entering the gates, you’ll see a lot of people and a lot of attractions. Grange Grove activities are free and the lines for things like face painting can get quite long. Again, arrive early and you’ll avoid a lot of longer waits.
Grange Grove is a great way to get a real taste of the Illini gameday experience, without buying tickets and sitting through a several-hour game with kids. One of our kids’ favorite activities is trying on the football helmet and pads each year, and seeing how much they’ve grown from year to year.
While roaming Grange Grove, you’ll find free buttons, stickers, posters and temporary tattoos. The Gameday Spirit shop is located in the heart of Grange Grove and the items here are for sale (not giveaways). You’ll also find plenty of porta-potties and space to throw a football around.
Want to make sure you see the Marching Illini? Find out more here about the Best Band in the Land.
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