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CHAMPAIGN, Ill – Gameday traditions, local food vendors, popular bands and lively tailgating highlight the Grange Grove line up for the 2018 Fighting Illini football season. Grange Grove, in its fifth season, is the destination for pregame activities at Memorial Stadium. New items for 2018 include the Former Letterwinner Autograph Tent, Gameday Genomics for kids and Jarling's Custard Cup.

Grange Grove opens for tailgating at 7 a.m., and will feature all the pregame traditions of Illini Walk and the Marching Illini drumline with the family fun of tailgating, the Family Fun Zone and live musical entertainment, beginning three hours before kickoff each game day. 

FORMER LETTERWINNER AUTOGRAPH TENT: Each game former Illini football letterwinners will return to campus to meet and greet fans at the Autograph Tent inside Grange Grove located near the Gameday Spirit storefront. Autographs will begin 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Check the Grange Grove website each week to see the lineup of former letterwinners set for pregame festivities.

BAND LINEUP: This year's Grange Grove band lineup promises to provide the most popular local bands in the Central Illinois area. Musical entertainment begins two hours prior to kickoff following Illini Walk and the Marching Illini band show. The year begins with 90's Daughter for the season opener vs. Kent State on Sept. 1, followed by the popular tropical cover band, the Boat Drunks for the Sept. 8 contest vs. Western Illinois.

The Friday night showdown vs. Penn State on Sept. 21 will feature two live bands with country hits from Feudin' Hillbillies on the stage in the main area and DJ Vanic performing in the student space on the North side of Grange Grove. The Homecoming crowd on Oct. 13 will jam to Too White Crew, a playful tribute band performing your favorite hip hop sounds of the 80s and 90s. On Dad's Day, the popular totally 80s band, The Brat Pack comes to Grange Grove for pregame entertainment on Nov. 3. The final act of the year features Marching Illini drumline alum, Anthony Hish, and his rock band, ZØRILA, for the season finale vs. Iowa on Nov. 17.

FAMILY FUN ZONE: Centrally located in Grange Grove, this year's family zone includes all the favorite inflatable bounce houses and games, face painting and balloon artists. New to Grange Grove is a science experiment station, Game Day Genomics, brought to you by the Illinois Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

TAILGATING: Grange Grove is open each week to the general public for tailgating. Fans can reserve their own spot the night before each home game 5 pm to 7 pm or take advantage of preset spots through Tailgater Concierge. Tailgaters will be able to pull up on the north side of the lot off Irwin Dr. (Lot 36) and drop-off their items. Vehicles will not be allowed inside Grange Grove at any time. Those wanting hassle-free tailgating through Tailgater Concierge will arrive to a premade 10x10 tent with tables, chairs and coolers with ice. Additional items like satellite TVs, cornhole boards and catering are available upgrades to the service to make tailgating easy for those out-of-town fans.

FOOD TRUCKS AND BEER TENT: Regardless of your pregame plans, fans wanting to enjoy Grange Grove will have access to plenty of food and beverage options with a wide variety of food trucks set along First Street each week. This year's food truck lineup includes Kona Ice, Cracked, and Dragon Fire Pizza. Inside Grange Grove, fans can enjoy the beer tent, which opens three hours before kickoff. 

FIGHTING ILLINI MERCHANDISE: Gameday Spirit will once again have a storefront in Grange Grove offering the latest Nike gameday attire.  Clear Bags can be purchased, and season ticket holders can redeem their clear bag voucher at this location.

FIGHTING ILLINI FAN HEADQUARTERS: Stop by the Fighting Illini Fan Headquarters for the latest giveaways and memorabilia. Posters and schedule cards for all Illini teams are available each week.