Rich, I hope your trip will be one that makes you want to keep coming back! I made my first trip to a game 42 years ago and eventually started buying season tix. It was addicting. Of course, I was young and single and my inaugural trip included a ride around Gainesville in the back of a pickup, a pass through Pablo’s, Dub’s for drinks and mini-skirts, and finally the first of many stops by Skeeters for a little grease. Game day started with aspirin and beers before seque-ing into a tailgate in the parking lot just east of the stadium and finally on to BHG for the game and associated festivities. It was always a good moment back in those days when the band struck up “Broadway” toward the end, signifying that we had this one wrapped up.
If you‘re coming with family, to include kids, re-creating paragraph 1 or a reasonable facsimile is most likely a no-go. Instead, there are several restaurants that you could order tailgate provisions and take with you to picnic around the stadium and then look in on the Heavener complex, Museum of Natural History, Gator Shops, etc. and then on into the stadium for the game. I hope you all really have a great time.
Last thing, depending on where you park, I wouldn’t get in too big a hurry to leave as it’s usually a snarl getting out. We live NE of Gainesville and usually stopped to eat in Lake City.