There are plenty of reasons Bills fans start showing up in Orchard Park hours before kickoff.
The food. The drinks. The music. Seeing old friends. Making new ones. And, depending on where you wander, perhaps watching someone get covered in ketchup and mustard.
But some Bills Mafia traditions have grown into something much bigger than football.
For the third stop in our Buffalo Rumblings Tailgate Series, we’re heading to the Mafia House to visit Pancho’s Army, where the tailgate comes with a pretty simple
philosophy: Come ready to have a good time. And, if you can, help them do some good along the way.
Welcome back to the Buffalo Rumblings Tailgate Series
Throughout the 2026 season, we’re highlighting the different tailgate experiences available to Bills fans around Highmark Stadium.
That’s especially important for the thousands of fans who travel to Buffalo from across the country and around the world. Not everyone can throw a grill, tent, table and several coolers into the back of a truck before heading to Orchard Park.
Sometimes you just need to know where you can go.
Our first stop was the Bills VIP Tailgate, a ticketed, all-inclusive experience where virtually everything is taken care of for you.
Next came the Red Pinto Tailgate at Hammer’s Lot, one of the most recognizable grassroots tailgates in Bills Mafia, complete with Pizza Pete, bowling-ball shots, the ketchup-and-mustard ceremony with Pinto Ron, and decades of Bills tailgating history.
Our third stop offers something different again.
Pancho’s Army at the Mafia House
Located at 60 Fay Street in Orchard Park, the Mafia House has become home base for Pancho’s Army on Bills game days.
Pancho’s Army has a new setup this season, moving the tailgate out back into its own dedicated tent area. There’s no ticket to purchase and no admission charge.
Everything served at the tailgate is donated. The only ask? If you’re able, make a donation to Pancho’s Army. That’s it.
Meet some fellow Bills fans, enjoy the pregame atmosphere and contribute what you can.
For traveling fans in particular, it’s exactly the kind of tailgate this series was created to highlight. You don’t need your own grill or an elaborate game-day setup. You don’t need to purchase an expensive hospitality package.
You can simply show up and become part of it.
But who was Pancho Billa?
For newer Bills fans, there’s an important story behind the name.
Ezra Castro, better known throughout Bills Mafia as Pancho Billa, became one of the most recognizable Buffalo Bills fans.
The Texas native was unmistakable on game day, appearing in his signature sombrero and lucha libre mask while passionately supporting a team located more than a thousand miles from home.
But Pancho became much more than a recognizable Bills superfan.
His battle with cancer became known throughout Bills Mafia, and the fan base rallied around him. His relationship with the Bills organization grew as well, including one particularly memorable moment when Pancho was given the opportunity to announce Buffalo’s third-round selection of Harrison Phillips during the 2018 NFL Draft.
Pancho died in 2019 at just 39 years old.
His impact didn’t end there.
The community that grew around him continued carrying his name and, more importantly, the spirit behind it.
That’s where Pancho’s Army comes in.
Carrying the legacy forward
Pancho’s Army has helped turn the memory of one beloved Bills fan into opportunities to help others.
And that’s what makes this tailgate different from the first two we’ve visited.
It’s still a Bills tailgate.
But the gathering also provides an opportunity for Bills Mafia to contribute to the charitable work Pancho’s Army continues throughout the year.
There isn’t a required donation at the door or a minimum amount attached to your arrival. Give what you can. And if you can’t give much? You’re still welcome. That’s a pretty good representation of Bills Mafia at its best.
The party doesn’t stop with kickoff
The donations and support Pancho’s Army receives aren’t simply about putting on another Sunday tailgate.
Their work continues throughout the season, and Bills fans will have a couple of additional opportunities to help. Beginning at the end of October and continuing through mid-November, Pancho’s Army will hold an ongoing Winter Coat Drive.
Then, from late November through mid-December, the focus shifts to the holidays with a Toy Drive benefiting Ronald McDonald House.
That means if you’re planning a trip to Orchard Park later this season, you may want to leave a little extra room in the suitcase or car.
Bring your Bills gear…and depending on when you’re visiting, maybe bring a coat or a toy to donate too.
Why this one belongs on the tailgating fan’s list
I’ve attended 103 consecutive Buffalo Bills games, home and away, and one of my favorite things about this fan base is how quickly strangers stop feeling like strangers.
You see the same faces in different cities. Someone recognizes your Bills gear at an airport.
You walk into a tailgate knowing three people and somehow leave knowing 30. That same feeling exists here.
Bills fans travel incredible distances to get to Buffalo. Some are making their annual trip. Others are walking into a Bills home game for the first time.
If you’re one of them, walking into an established tailgate can occasionally feel intimidating. Don’t let it. At Pancho’s Army, the whole point is community. So walk around back to the tent and introduce yourself to the guy in a sombrero and an army surplus jacket “El Presidente”, Anthony, Panchos Army’s president.
Then ask someone how they became a Bills fan. You’ll probably have a story in return before you know it. Because one of the things I’ve learned over those 103 games is that you’re rarely truly on your own when you’re among Bills Mafia.
