There’s still plenty to do in Baton Rouge this weekend for what Tiger Fans are considering the biggest game of the year or even the decadeThursdayBoth Gator and Tiger fans will likely move onto campus as early as Thursday afternoon to prepare their tailgates for the big game. Some local bars and restaurants have specials to accommodate all the fans who come to see the Tigers host No. 1 Florida.Northgate Tavern, located on the edge of campus on Chimes Street, will feature the local band Soldiers of Orpheus for students who want to grab a cheap drink and check out live music.The Varsity, located right next to The Chimes, is one of Baton Rouge’s premiere venues for live music. Thursday is no different with the Casey Donahew Band and special guests Hudson Long and the Wild Blue Yonder.FridayWith classes letting out and the weekend coming in full swing, Baton Rouge will be the place to be the day before the game.The University holds Fall Fest every football season as the chancellor’s official “welcome back” to the University. Fall Fest will offer free food and entertainment, including performances by the Golden Band from Tiger Land, the LSU Golden Girls and the Council Greek Yard Show from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a University broadcast e-mail.”Fall Fest is one of my favorite things about football season,” said Tommy Weber, kinesiology senior. “All of my friends come out and party in the Quad all day.”Fred’s Bar & Grill will feature an open bar from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and rap-rock band 2Hipnotic until 2 a.m. With thousands of football fans coming into Baton Rouge this weekend, manager Nick Puipureo said he expects to have a busy weekend.”I’m sure we’ll have 1,000 people in here both days easily,” Puipureo said. “This will probably be our biggest weekend of the year.”Back at the Varsity, Louisiana bands Meriwether and Cowboy Mouth will play at on Friday night. The Chimes’ hostess Kristen Siekmann said she expects a crazy day between the live bands and gameday hype.”The doors will be open all day, and there’s always a constant rush of people,” Siekmann said. “Nobody really gets up from the tables — they’ll just hang out and order pitchers all day.USA MMA is hosting a series of fights at the Baton Rouge River Center on Friday night, pitting fighters from Louisiana and Florida against each other. Tickets are still available and range from $20 to $125, according to the River Center’s Web site.
Cody Kidder, a health and physical education senior at Southeastern Louisiana University, said he will represent Team Louisiana in a mixed martial arts fight Friday night.
“I’m jacked up about fighting in the river center,” Kidder said. “It’s going to be one of the biggest [local] shows of year.”
Kidder is entering the fight with a 2-0 MMA record, he said. And though he is not fighting someone from Florida, he is excited to represent Louisiana right before Saturday’s football game.
“My fighter isn’t from Florida, unfortunately, but I would’ve love to fight a Florida guy,” he said. “I’m excited to watch Team Louisiana beat Team Florida right before LSU beats Florida on Saturday.”SaturdayKickoff isn’t until 7 p.m., but Tiger fans will have the opportunity to get started early.ESPN GameDay will be on campus all day Saturday and on the Parade Ground from 9 a.m. GameDay was on campus for the Tigers’ 28-24 victory against the Gators in 2007, and many students are eager to get recognition. on the program.”It’s exciting to see GameDay come to LSU for the big games,” said Kimberly Schexnayder, mathematics senior. “I’ll be tailgating out there all day.”Reginelli’s Pizzeria on Chimes Street will likely be “standing room only,” said manager T.C. Carlton.”We’ve been planning for this game since June or July,” Carlton said. “We’re even getting people from [the restaurant in] New Orleans to come help us out.”At Fred’s, game day is always a big attraction for both Tiger fans and visitors from out of state, Puipureo said. “We get a tailgate crew from Florida that comes every time we play them,” he said. “They’ll easily go through a $2,000 or $3,000 bar tab in three hours.”Like many other local bars, Fred’s opens at 9 a.m. on game day, Puipureo said. The bar will also serve steaks as early as 11 a.m.SundayEven after a weekend of partying and world class football, Tiger fans will have the opportunity to keep going Sunday.The Chimes will hold its weekly Sunday Brunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., said Amanda Watts, hostess at The Chimes. But she said the restaurant expects a more packed house than usual with many out-of-state fans still  in Baton Rouge the morning after the game.”Our brunches are always busy, but I’m sure it’ll be packed after the game,” Watts said. “We have $2 mimosas and some really great food — I don’t expect it to slow down all weekend.”—-Contact Ben Bourgeois at [email protected]