Experience Gameday in Ruston

Written by Tori Ward, Marketing/PR Assistant

If you’re a fan of small college towns where football takes over the entire weekend, then Ruston, La. is the place for you! Here in Ruston, gameday festivities last all weekend long, with events for the entire family. The City of Ruston, the Ruston Lincoln CVB, and the Louisiana Tech Alumni Association have partnered together to bring fans and visitors a weekend-long gameday experience called Loyal Blue Weekends.

LA Tech Cheerleaders performing during Rock the Railroad
Photo credit: Buie Photography

Loyal Blue Weekends take place every home-game weekend and feature family activities, spirit groups, live music, and more football fun. This is the perfect event for the out-of-town visitor who doesn’t have a set gameday plan, but wants to get out and have the Louisiana Tech Football gameday experience.

Loyal Blue Weekends kick off on Friday night in Downtown Ruston, where all football fans and visitors are invited to come out and Rock the Railroad. Starting at 5:30pm in Railroad Park, families can come out and take part in kids’ activities, including inflatables, face painting, and more. At 6pm Champ and the LA Tech spirit groups get the crowd pumped up with some fun and interactive performances. 

Enjoying kids activities at Rock the Railroad
Photo credit: Buie Photography

Stick around after these activities for some great live music from 6:30-8:30pm. This is also the perfect time to visit downtown shops and grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants in Downtown Ruston. The fun doesn’t stop there! Everyone is invited to come watch a movie in the Quad on LA Tech’s campus after the band wraps up at 8:30pm.

Did we mention that all of these activities and events are totally free and open to the public!?

Grab some cotton candy from the Social Bites cotton candy cart while you're downtown
Photo credit: Buie Photography

The festivities continue on Saturday, as fans and visitors are encouraged to shop and eat in downtown before the game. Avoid game day traffic and the hassle of stadium parking by leaving your vehicle downtown and catching the Tech Trolley at Railroad Park, which transports fans to and from the stadium free of charge. The trolley will run continuously 2 hours prior to kickoff, giving fans plenty of time to tailgate, and 1 hour after the game.

Don’t have a designated tailgate spot, but still want the tailgating experience? Bulldog Village, located at the bottom of the Thomas Assembly Center steps, offers live music, inflatables, a photobooth, interactive X-box play station and other games, a cell phone charging station, the Barnes and Nobles Bookstore, and much more! Everyone is welcome to come enjoy these free pre-game activities.

Come join us in Downtown Ruston for a fun Gameday experience!
Photo Credit: Buie Photography

We invite you to visit us this fall in Ruston to enjoy a weekend packed with football fun and small town charm. Whether you’re traveling alone, with friends, or with your family, Ruston has a gameday experience waiting for you; all you have to do is show up!

Tori is a proud Louisiana native and social media nerd. She has a passion for travel, food, and all things related to tourism promotions. Tori is an avid movie watcher, coffee fanatic, and lover of the outdoors. Still want to know more? Head over to her website.