CANTON − Football lovers were hungry and fanatical as Sugardale Fan Fest kicked off at Stadium Park on Aug. 5 during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival.
Outrageously attired NFL fans represented their favorite teams. Cheerleaders for the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers were on hand, with both squads in town for the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. And foodies were in heaven at the new ticketed USA TODAY Great American Tailgate event.
The Great American Tailgate features 32 food samples representing each of the 32 NFL franchises. Cheesesteaks, street corn, burgers, hot dogs, barbecue pork and mac and cheese were among the tempting eats, often jazzed up beyond the traditional version.
Mark Heise, 60, of Venice, Florida, came to Canton both for the Great American Tailgate and to see wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at a ceremony Aug. 8.
His son Austin Heise, 34, of Venice, Florida, said Fitzgerald is elite.
“He’s the best wide receiver of my generation,” said the younger Heise.
Coming to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Enshrinement Festival for the first time has “been a bucket list thing,” he added. “And it’s kind of surreal. I’m standing on ground that paved the way for today’s game.”
Admission is free to Fan Fest, which runs noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 6; noon to 10 p.m. Aug. 7-8; and noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 9. Fan Fest takes place in the main parking lot of Stadium Park along Fulton Road near Stadium Park Drive, about 200 yards below the Pro Football Hall of Fame museum.
For more information about the food-themed event and to purchase tickets, go to https://greatamericantailgate.usatoday.com/.
Reach Ed at ed.balint@cantonrep.com. Follow on Instagram at ed_balint and TikTok @edwardbalint.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘Kind of surreal.’ HOF Fan Fest attracts football lovers and foodies
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ed Balint, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
