Sun Bowl Tailgaters Enjoy Pre-Game Activities

It didn’t matter if you were a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fan or rooting for the Utah Utes. The parking lots and side streets surrounding the game filled with fans from all over the country gearing up for the Sun Bowl on Saturday morning.

Slideshow:Sun Bowl tailgating parties.

Some fans came from just a few blocks away, while others traveled quite a bit farther.

“Fifteen hundred miles. It’s a 24-hour drive if you go straight through,” Georgia Tech fan Lorraine Croll said.

Croll said she was born here in El Paso and jumped at the chance to come visit and see her team play.

“What a perfect time to come when Georgia Tech plays at the Sun Bowl!” Croll said.

Groups like the Six Guns and Shady Ladies have come out for more than a decade to tailgate, bringing a little local flavor to out-of-towners.

“All these visitors from all over the country are coming to El Paso, enjoying our sunshine and our beautiful weather and the hospitality,” said Bernie Sargent.

It’s not just the visitors who took advantage of the pregame action.

Stephanie and Matthew Katsaros spent more than three hours enjoying the festivities. They even brewed their own beer for the occasion.

“We’re having a great time. We paid nothing for parking, got here at 8:30, and we have been drinking ever since. It’s really awesome,” Stephanie said.

Many of the families and fans said the Sun Bowl is one of their favorite traditions to wrap up the year.

But some tailgaters, like the Vasquez family, said there was at least one big difference from last year.

“I get to wear shorts,” Jose Vasquez said.