The Tailgate celebrates new pavement with free concert benefiting first responders

The Tailgate, an outdoor commercial amusement facility, completed a paving project that transformed six acres with asphalt millings to provide 800 parking spots for its patrons. This milestone is being celebrated with The Tailgate's first free concert on Aug. 3 that will benefit Midland first responders.

The event, open to all ages, will feature over 60 local vendors from 2 to 7 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m. Dalton Torres will open the event, followed by William Clark Green. Proceeds from the event will benefit Midland first responders. The event will also feature bounce houses, food trucks, and kid-friendly activities.

The Tailgate originally began as a food truck park, operating on land leased from H-E-B. After a year, a stage was added and the business expanded. “The business blew up before our eyes, and with that came challenges,” co-owner Ariel Herrera told Midland Times.

One of the most significant challenges was the parking lot. “Since we do not own the land and because we are a temporary business, it was really hard for us to spend that amount of money on a parking lot,” said Herrera. “We want to be in compliance with the city, and we did everything we could to work with the city council and the City of Midland staff to get here. We also knew it was important to provide a safe parking area for our customers and to be good neighbors to the surrounding businesses.”

According to Herrera, the pavement is the biggest challenge the business has overcome.

“Our goal is to bring entertainment to Midland. We care about being involved in the community,” said Herrera. “Our vision for The Tailgate is to always improve and be better than we were the day before. We want to thank the City of Midland and the community for the support they have given – it means a lot to us. Co-owners Sean Elphick, JD Granado, and I are local entrepreneurs, and we do this for our families. The Tailgate has given us an opportunity to provide for our families, and to us, that's an honor.”

According to Herrera, The Tailgate is still working to be fully in compliance with the City of Midland, but the new pavement project marks a step forward for the business.