Your Guide to Planning a Fantasy Football Draft Party in San Diego
It’s that time of the year again! It’s the time of the year when you begin to plan your fantasy football draft party in San Diego. With a bit of preplanning and creativity, there’s no limit as to how much fun you can have at this year’s get-together.
If you’re reading this article and it’s nowhere near time for a draft party, that’s okay. You can still take a momentary break from reading about the best Betcha bets on Elite Fantasy or your favorite website to dream about next year’s draft.
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How to Throw a Memorable San Diego Fantasy Football Draft Party
You don’t want to throw just any type of fantasy football draft party. You want to organize one that people will remember all year long. It sounds challenging, but there are steps you can take to turn this dream into reality.
When to Plan a Fantasy Football Draft Party
Simply put, you need to plan your fantasy football draft party before the season begins. So, August or early September is the best time for doing so. However, you don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself, as some NFL transactions could affect the draft process.
Teams get finalized by the last day of August, so if you can hold off until then, it makes sense to do so. When you wait until after this finalization date, you can ensure that everyone participating in your draft has a clear idea of which players are on which teams. Of course, as you’re leading up to the big day, you can turn your attention to fantasy football draft party ideas. Remember, this isn’t something you plan on a whim. Leave yourself as much time as possible, as doing so greatly increases the chance of throwing a memorable party.
How to Send out Invites for a San Diego Fantasy Football Draft Party
It’s one thing to plan a fantasy football draft party in San Diego, but another thing entirely to invite people. After all, you need everyone to show up at the right place, on the right date, and at the right time. Fortunately, there is no shortage of ways to send out invites for a San Diego fantasy football draft party. Three of your best options include:
- Text message: It’s free, fast, and easy for people to respond, while a group message makes it even easier.
- Email: It’s also free, fast, and easy to use, but there’s a greater chance of the invite going missing.
- Facebook: Creating a Facebook event gives you more control over the process while also letting others see who gets invited.
If all of this sounds challenging, you could always call invitees on the phone. It’s not the fastest or most efficient option, but it’s simple.
Where to Have a San Diego Fantasy Football Draft Party
Now, it’s time to tackle one of the most important questions: what are the best fantasy football draft party locations in San Diego?
With so many options, you shouldn’t have any problem finding one that works for you and your entire guest list. Take, for example, a Buffalo Wild Wings fantasy football draft party. Every year, this restaurant chain hosts thousands upon thousands of parties throughout the United States. From party venues in San Diego to San Diego rooftop bars, it’s best to keep an open mind as you begin your search.
Tip: Don’t shy away from asking your attendees for feedback on the locations on your shortlist.
LA JOLLA – Nautilus Tavern
If you’re looking for the best place to throw your fantasy football draft party in La Jolla, try Nautilus Tavern. They’ve got plenty of TVs for sports, Poke bowls, a solid Philly Cheesesteak, and even some vegan options on the menu. (How many sports bars in San Diego have vegan food?) Oh yeah, and they also have wings. And Nautilus is conveniently located on La Jolla Blvd., just up the street from the beach.
- Address: 6830 La Jolla Blvd. #103, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Phone: (858) 750-2056
- Everyday Hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
ENCINITAS – Home & Away
Home & Away has plenty of large TVs and communal tables – perfect for fantasy football draft parties. The food is more or less classic pub faire, but done North-County-San-Diego-style. You can select from a cheeseburger menu or eat hot wings until you have indigestion, but you can also get Ensenada style fish tacos, shrimp ceviche, and/or a spicy surf & turf burrito.
- Address: 485 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
- Phone: (760) 814-0801
- Hours: Friday 11 a.m. – 1 a.m., Saturday – Sunday 9:30 a.m. – 1 a.m., Monday – Thursday 12 p.m. – 12 a.m.
CLAIREMONT: The Bullpen Bar & Grill
The Bullpen Bar & Grill in Clairemont shows up in a lot of “best of” lists for people looking to watch any kind of sporting event in San Diego. Want to watch the next UFC fight? Try the Bullpen. Want to watch college basketball? Try the Bullpen. Want to hold your fantasy football draft party? You guessed it… try The Bullpen. They have a lot of TVs. They also have beer, “pub grub,” and ping-pong tables.
- Address: 8199 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA
- Phone: (858) 503-6786
- Everyday Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
MIRAMAR – Brewski’s Bar & Arcade
If your fantasy football league is really not into sitting still, you might want to take them to Brewski’s in Miramar. You’ll get tons of TVs with all kinds of sports on them and plates piled high with nachos and onion rings–making it a great location for a draft party–but you’ll also get an awesome selection of arcade games, pinball machines, pool tables, and air hockey.
- Address: 8670 Miramar Rd., San Diego, CA 92126
- Phone: (858) 586-0540
- Everyday Hours: 11 a.m.m – 2 a.m.
DOWNTOWN: Gaslamp Tavern
The Gaslamp Tavern is another great location if you’re looking for a sports bar with plenty of tables and plenty of TVs. They also have a solid cocktail list, plus all of the foods people typically like to order when they’re having a draft party.
- Address: 868 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101
- Phone: (619) 239-3339
- Everyday Hours: Varies
Tips for Finding a Venue
While these are some of the best ideas for a fantasy football draft party in San Diego, there are hundreds of other options to consider. Again, flexibility will go a long way in finding a venue that works for you and all your attendees.
The next step is deciding how to narrow your list to make an informed and confident decision. There are many factors to consider, with these among the most important:
- Location: Make sure everyone in your draft party can conveniently travel to and from the site.
- Operating hours: This is an important detail as you have to accommodate the schedule of many people. The longer the operating hours, the better chance there is that everyone will make it.
- Food and drink availability: A party isn’t a party unless you have the right selection of foods and drinks. Check out this in advance. Also, see if the establishment has any happy hour specials. This availability may change your approach to choosing a time.
- Private or public seating: For some, this is a big deal. For others, it doesn’t matter either way. If you have a large party, such as 20+ people, a private seating area may be best, but if it’s only you and a handful of friends, you can get away with general seating. If you’re interested in private seating, you must call in advance to book a space.
With all of this information guiding you, you should be confident in your ability to organize a memorable fantasy football draft party in San Diego. Above all else, keep in mind that it’s supposed to be fun. Do your best to organize a killer party, and then let everything fall into place!
And if you’re arguing with somebody over whether or not San Diego was ever in the Super Bowl, we’ve got an article for that: San Diego Super Bowl: Past & Present.
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