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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

Commanders, Vikings have 1 thing in common: Tailgates that are welcoming, fun

We spent some time with Commanders fans at Northwest Stadium and Vikings fans at US Bank Stadium and checked out the tailgating scenes.

New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings
Getty Images
Jeanna Kelley
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.

It was a gray, rainy day in Landover, Md. as we walked around talking to tailgaters before the Commanders’ Monday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears, and the mood — jovial and sunny — did not match the weather at all.

A few weeks later, we headed to Minneapolis, Minn. to check out the tailgate scene at US Bank Stadium before the Baltimore Ravens faced off against the Vikings. Once again, despite frigid temperatures and flurries that sometimes shifted to full-on snow, the mood was the opposite of the weather: Warm and welcoming.

We spent time with tailgaters in each spot, played some SB Nation Live In-5 trivia, asked them to say something nice about their opponents, and learned all about what goes into their tailgating prep and setup.

Do Vikings and Commanders fans know their teams?

They do … mostly!

Can Commanders fans say something nice?

Commanders fans were happy to say something nice about that week’s opponent, the Bears, and vice versa!

Of course Vikings fans are Minnesota Nice.

Vikings fans are Minnesota Nice — unless you ask them to say something nice the Green Bay Packers, that is.

Washington Commanders tailgate scene

Incredible food, great music, a strong sense of community, and lots of fun are hallmarks of the Commanders’ tailgating scene.

Minnesota Vikings tailgate scene

And in Minneapolis, it was more of the same! Just a bunch of great people celebrating this game we all love.

Which NFL tailgate scene should we check out next? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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