February is fast approaching. That means it’s once again time for that great American holiday pastime: The Super Bowl! While Presidents and Valentines fade away, football is here to stay. Just like Valentine’s Day and President’s Day, the Super Bowl brings to mind great American traditions. Most Americans will fall into one of two categories this February 4th: Hosts or Hostees. And no matter which group you find yourself in this year, the Mint Hill Times has answers for you.

HELP! I’M HOSTING!

Good for you! To host a really great Super Bowl party you’ll need just a few items. First things first: food. Several local Mint Hill grocers have your back here.

At Harris Teeter you can take advantage of the upcoming sales. They will be running specials on chicken wings and buffalo chicken dip for a main course of delicious finger food. They will also be featuring deals on Stacy brand pita chips and Harris Teeter brie, which should help you answer the needs of even your most dietary restricted friends.

Publix will have several Super Bowl platter options offered in their deli. They will also be boasting a wide array of party items on sale. Not only food, but cups, plates and silverware, too. They will also have a special on chicken wings for your grill master. Their bakery stands ready to receive any special orders for cakes and cupcakes in the colors of the two NFL teams that will be facing off on Super Bowl Sunday.

The second thing that will help you host the party to remember are games to play during the Big Game. Tyler Sinclair, a Mint Hill local, says his wife is the party game diva. “One the favorites we play is First Down Pass to Play. We have a Nerf football that we pass around the room every time there is a first down. Whoever’s holding the ball when a touchdown is scored gets to pick a prize from a box.” Sinclair smiles, “My wife loves to go to the Dollar Tree and find things to put in there. Puzzles, playing cards, silly plastic glasses, boxes of candy – anything she can find to spark her interest, it makes its way into that box.”

“At my house, we project the game onto a big piece of white poster board my husband Kevin put together.” Another local, Jennifer Kant, shares. “We also have a whiteboard where our guests predict what the final score for each team will be. Whoever is closest in both point values at the end of the game, gets a prize. It usually is something decently valuable, like a gift card to a restaurant or something. Actually, when the Panthers were playing in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, only one person in the whole house had the Broncos winning. Even though his projected score was pretty low, he still ended up victorious and got the prize that year.”

HELP! I’M NOT HOSTING!

Good for you! Who needs the stress of planning snacks and a meal for a large group? Head out of the house to several fine Mint Hill locations to enjoy good food and watch the Big Game.

The Pine Lake Country Club wants you to join them during their Super Bowl celebration. They are hosting a golf tournament the day before the Super Bowl, February 3rd. Then they will have a family friendly atmosphere with great food and beverage options on Super Bowl Sunday.

Hawthorne’s New York Pizza, located in the Mint Hill Village, will be open and playing the game on their many screens. They will be running their Sunday drink specials including half price bottles of wine and $4 Margaritas, Bloody Marys, and Mimosas. They will be featuring Super Bowl deals on pizzas and also recently launched a new burger menu. There will be an option for every member of your party.

The new and highly popular Char Bar 7 is getting into the action with a special Chef Feature and a Super Bowl craft burger for that Sunday. From 11:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night, they will be taking wing orders in increments from 25 to 100. They will have the Big Game playing on all screens, including their giant projection screen in the main lounge. They do recommend calling ahead to get a reservation if you want to party with them on Super Bowl Sunday.

Another local favorite, Dunwellz, plans on being busy as well. And who can blame them? With amazing food specials like $40 for an order of fifty wings and $75 for an order of one hundred, they should expect to be bursting with business. They will be running their regular Sunday drink specials which include $2.50 Miller and Coors beers and $3.50 seasonal bottles. Plus, every Sunday kids eat for half price on their meals! Because only 400 of their amazing wings will be available every 30 mins, Dunwellz does recommend that interested guests plan to pre-order their wings by time frame.

Even though our beloved Panthers aren’t on the field this year, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate the Super Bowl here in Mint Hill. See you out there, football fans!