If you’re headed to Thursday’s Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game at Ford Field, you can look forward to some extra special Thanksgiving-themed food.
And, just like in years past, fans at the game will be able to eat traditional Thanksgiving food.
Levy, Ford Field’s food and drink partner, will be busy making a lot of holiday snacks for the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving Day game. At Thursdays Thanksgiving Day game, according to Levy, they expect 850 team members on hand.
Fans expect the Ford Field staple offering of a turkey leg dripping with cranberry barbecue sauce. There will also be turkey sandwiches with gouda cheese and cranberry aioli. And loads of stuffing and other side dishes.
In addition to the usual fare, there will be food and drinks that honor the Green Bay Packers. For example, there will be loaded fries with brats and the Lambeau Leap, a drink made with whiskey, apple pucker, and pineapple juice served with an apple and cheese skewer.
You will find the Thanksgiving offerings spread out over numerous concession areas, according to Ford Field officials.
Ford Fields’ “Power Hour,” put on by Soaring Eagle Casino, starts before the game. m. , a half-hour earlier than normal.
The Detroit Lions have been associated with Thanksgiving and turkey for nearly a century thanks to their annual Thanksgiving Day football game This beloved holiday tradition intertwines the Lions, turkey, and football into an iconic part of American culture. In this article, we’ll explore the origins and evolution of the Lions Thanksgiving turkey tradition over the decades
When Did the Lions Thanksgiving Tradition Start?
The Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving Day since 1934. This was the brainchild of team owner G.A. Richards, who wanted to draw more fans to Lions home games. Richards convinced NBC radio to carry the first-ever nationally broadcast Thanksgiving game in 1934 between the Lions and the Chicago Bears. The matchup was a huge success, selling out the University of Detroit Stadium with 26,000 fans. After positive national feedback, the Thanksgiving Day football tradition was cemented.
The Turkey Giveaway Begins
With the Lions annual Thanksgiving game established, team press agents began looking for promotional tie-ins. Thus began the turkey giveaway in 1951, donated by team sponsor Kroger Grocery. Top Lions players would deliver a turkey to random families throughout the Detroit area each year.
In 1962 the Lions formalized the turkey giveaway by presenting a turkey to the opposing team at halftime of the Thanksgiving game. This was televised live across the country further publicizing the Lions turkey tradition. The turkey presentation became an iconic Thanksgiving image – the kneeling Lions player hoisting up a turkey to give to the other team.
Evolution of the Turkey Day Tradition
Throughout the 1960s-1990s, the Lions players continued their Thanksgiving turkey giveaways to disadvantaged local families. They would even visit schools and hospitals to hand out poultry. The halftime turkey presentations also persisted, often with creative deliveries like turkey coups, pilgrims, or turkeys parachuting from the sky!
By 1997, the turkey giveaways had stopped due to concerns about players promoting commercial products. So the Lions found a new turkey day tradition – the annual Turkey Bowl flag football game. Lions players would divide into teams and compete in a fun flag football game to entertain fans right before tucking into their own Thanksgiving meals.
Today’s Thanksgiving Halftime Show
The turkey giveaways and bowling games are gone, but the Lions Turkey Day game remains a staple of the holiday. The halftime show is now an elaborate production number themed around Thanksgiving. It has featured oversized inflatable turkeys, dancers, marching bands, Santa Claus, and more.
While actual turkeys are no longer part of the Lions tradition the symbolism remains. The Lions Thanksgiving Day game and halftime show allow us to enjoy football, family and feast – everything that the holiday represents. After 88 years, the tradition continues and Detroit is proud to share our Lions and our turkey with families nationwide.
A Recap of the Lions Thanksgiving Turkey Tradition:
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1934 – First Lions Thanksgiving Day NFL game held
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1951 – Team partnered with Kroger Grocery to donate turkeys to needy families
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1962 – Halftime turkey presentations to opposing team began, televised live
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1960s-1990s – Players continued community turkey donations and deliveries
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1997 – Turkey giveaways stopped, replaced by annual Turkey Bowl game
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Now – Elaborate themed halftime shows tie into Thanksgiving
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The Lions Thanksgiving game promotes football, family, and holiday feast fun
So when you sit down for your turkey feast and watch the Lions game this year, remember just how intertwined the Lions and turkey have been for over eight decades of Thanksgiving tradition. From hundreds of giveaway turkeys to players hoisting gobblers at midfield, the Lions Turkey Day game has become an iconic part of celebrating the holiday.
Thanksgiving game day cocktails:
- It has vanilla vodka, Fireball, Blake’s Apple Cider, and a cider mill doughnut. It’s called Blazin’ Blake.
- Roarin’ Roary: vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade, with a blue candy skewer and pop rocks on top.
- A drink called Lambeau Leap is made with whiskey, apple pucker, and pineapple juice. It comes with a cheese and apple skewer.
Here’s a sample of Thanksgiving Day food at Ford Field:
- Turkey leg with cornbread dressing and cranberry barbecue sauce on top
- Turkey slices, cranberry aioli, gouda cheese, and leaf lettuce are piled on top of a brioche bun to make a baked cranberry turkey sandwich.
- Fried potatoes from Green Bay topped with brats, peppers, onions, crispy cheese curds, and spicy brown mustard
- On top of a juicy Polish sausage are tangy sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, and crispy potato sticks.
- On a soft hoagie bun, there is a Kielbasa Sausage Sandwich with sauerkraut that has been seared and a velvety beer cheese sauce.
- There are collard greens, mac and cheese, smoked turkey, cornbread, and yams inside the Family Reunion Eggroll. You can get it with either cranberry sauce or hot sauce.
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