This contest for tailgating recipes that include cranberry ends Sept. 1. If that seems early, the NFL Preseason starts Thursday night for the Pats, who play the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. The game is on Fox TV.

Ocean Spray Tailgating Recipe Contest

We are pleased to announce the first ever Ocean Spray Tailgating Recipe Contest. If you are a New England resident, you are invited to submit your original cranberry tailgate recipe online for a chance to win a prize package that includes two tickets to the New England Patriots' October 18, 2009 game. Entries will be accepted through September 1st at 4pm EDT.

The contest is open to New England residents (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine). Recipes must be original, use a minimum of 1/2 cup of any Ocean Spray product (beverages 1 1/2 ounces per serving) and reflect the overall theme of tailgating. Recipes will be judged on creativity, use of product, taste, overall appearance and ease of preparation. Three finalists will be selected and invited to cook-off for the title of "Unofficial Official Tailgate Recipe of the New England Patriots" on October 15, 2009 at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Please see official rules for more details.