The first day of the World Cup fan fest at Lemon Hill drew thousands
Throngs of soccer fans arrived amid a heat advisory that saw temperatures push into mid-90s.
Philadelphia’s scorching, soupy weather could not stop soccer fans from making the trek to East Fairmount Park, where World Cup revelers filed in Thursday afternoon to celebrate the tournament’s kickoff at the FIFA Fan Festival.
Thousands of soccer lovers were present, arriving at Lemon Hill for the festival’s 2 p.m. start time — an hour before Mexico started its clash against South Africa in the World Cup’s first match, in Mexico City. Philly’s FIFA Fan Festival, which is slated to run for 39 days through the end of the tournament next month, arrived amid a heat advisory that saw temperatures push into the mid-90s with heat indexes surpassing 100 degrees, thanks to high humidity levels.
And that did not go unnoticed by festival attendees.
“This is far too warm for us,” said Rhys Gray, who traveled to Philadelphia from Scotland. Gray arrived in town Tuesday and plans to make the city his home base as he and his father follow Scotland’s games throughout the World Cup. Gray, who donned a matching plaid bucket hat and shirt for the occasion, said the city had been welcoming so far.
“I never felt so popular,” he added.
The FIFA Fan Festival serves as the city’s official World Cup watch party, and sprawls across a million square feet of lush, green space at Lemon Hill. It is capable of holding 15,000 attendees, many of whom are expected to take in matches on the festival’s 60-foot-wide screen on the main stage. The family-friendly event also features more than 80 food trucks, a massive shopping area, and a beer garden, among other amenities.
And while it attracted World Cup watchers from around the world Thursday, Philadelphia-area locals also made the trip. Many attendees seemed to be rooting for Mexico, judging by the sea of green-and-red soccer jerseys that dominated the space.
Among Mexico’s supporters was Bianca Vetta, who traveled to Philly from Easton with her mother. On Thursday, Vetta’s face was painted like the flag of Mexico, with red, white, and green marking her cheeks to show her support for the country’s team. Her father, she said, is from Mexico.
Bernard Dagenais, president and CEO of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, also supported Mexico over South Africa. Dagenais, who parked at the nearby Philadelphia Museum of Art and walked to Lemon Hill, said his support for the country only made sense.
“Why not?” he asked. “They’re our neighbors to the south.”
Dagenais’ walk is likely not to be unique during the festival’s run, as extensive road closures and parking restrictions arrived with the event. Organizers have encouraged attendees to take rideshares or public transportation, which some Philadelphia residents, like West Philly’s Eric Abreu, heeded.
Despite the travel restrictions, Abreu said, getting to the festival was convenient and trouble-free, thanks to a $10 Uber ride that dropped him off nearby. And while he plans to head back to the festival grounds in the coming days, he did note Thursday was a little on the warm side.
“Hopefully we just get a nice tan,” Abreu said.
Philadelphia itself, meanwhile, is slated to host its first World Cup game Sunday, when Ivory Coast faces off against Ecuador at Lincoln Financial Field. FIFA has temporarily renamed the arena “Philadelphia Stadium” for the World Cup, which will include six games in town through July 4.
Philadelphia’s role as a host city, however, seemed to be secondary to the match at hand Thursday afternoon. As the match started, attendees flocked to the festival’s largest screen, set out picnic blankets, and danced to music reverberating through the grounds. Cheers and applause in Philadelphia erupted as the teams took the field in Mexico City.
On Thursday afternoon, said attendee Patrick Aruta, a registered nurse at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the experience transcended any difficulties or controversies that may be associated with the World Cup. In that fleeting moment, he said, this was all there was — just enjoying the match, with thousands of other fans from far and wide.
“No matter what people say about the heat [or] the political climate, there is nothing like this. I forget who I am for a moment,” he said. “You can’t get this at any other sports game. Just the World Cup.”
