Story at photos submitted by the Visit Stillwater Team

This past spring we launched the series, “Be a Tourist in Your Own Community,” highlighting tips and suggestions about experiencing unique events and attractions in your own backyard.  

We really do have the hometown advantage all year when it comes to the gameday experience.  Fans flock to Stillwater decked in orange Cowboy flare, ready to soak up every single ounce of iconic gameday experiences.  Plates upon plates of the best cheese fries on the planet, shopping bags full of the brightest orange anything, limeys, dirty dogs, and pistols-up selfies are all part of creating an experience.  Here’s the best news ever-Dirty Curty Dogs are at finger-licking reach and team pride is pouring 365 days a year.  Be a super-fan, embrace the college town camaraderie, and celebrate the gridiron culture in our own backyard.  

Make a weekend of eating your way back to your college days when you don’t have to dodge a waiting line out the door. If you aren’t an OSU grad, simply follow the sea of students to their favorite dives during the week.  

Go rogue and go out!  Even if it’s mid-week, stay out past your bedtime and catch an acoustic set at Eskimo Joe’s on a Wednesday night or meet up after work for a 32-ounce Copper Penny limey instead of a glass of wine.

It’s an unofficial expectation that workplace attire is in the orange zone on Fridays.  Expand your Friday intraoffice traditions to include a tailgating themed potluck for lunch or sending the newbie to pick up cheese fries with sweet peppered bacon to go. Buy matching iconic, college tees for Friday attire and score super-fan office pics.

Shop like the fans do on a gameday. Stillwater is brimming with local, unique shops.  From super-hip new stops to iconic favorites, fans rally for retail therapy in Stillwater on a game weekend. Plan a weekend this month to power shop fan favorites in Stillwater this fall with a commitment to keep it local through the holiday season.

Celebrate an away game win with a little retail reward at The University Store. The Monday after an OSU Football on-the-road victory, storewide savings match the points our Cowboys scored, up to 40% off most OSU merchandise.   

OSU gameday deserves all the hype, but let’s not forget our hometown heroes, the Stillwater Pioneers! If the crowds, kids, and climate are too much of a challenge for a full-Saturday experience, soak up the magic of  “Friday night lights” at the beautiful Stillwater High School stadium.  Food trucks, cheerleaders, drumlines, fight songs-the whole football shebang on a smaller scale-might just be the perfect hometown advantage for your family.

To learn more about how to be a visitor in your own community, go to VisitStillwaterOK.org, “Like” Visit Stillwater on Facebook, and follow “@VisitStillwater” on Twitter.  If you already consider yourself a seasoned “staycationer,” we would love to hear about your favorite hometown favorites and staycation tidbits. Use #staycationstillwater when you share your next local experience on social media!  The Visitor Information Center, located at 2617 W. 6th Avenue, is open 24/7 or call 405-743-3697.