Football - or as it’s known here, soccer - enthusiasts have an opportunity this summer to enjoy the World Cup, and in the Fargo-Moorhead area local fans have a chance to do it together.
Folkways has partnered with American Outlaws Fargo to host public watch parties at Sidestreet and Broadway Square, both located in downtown Fargo. The watch parties will feature livestreams of the games, and food and drinks will be available on site. Spectators are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets.
Amanda Frost is marketing manager for Folkways.
"It's really exciting; the buzz even around the Super Bowl - it's really fun coming together with family and friends to watch it, so coming together for the World Cup with not just family and friends, but the whole community, I feel like it adds this vibrancy to the experience of watching the World Cup," Frost said.
"It's really cool that we are putting on an event that's happening internationally; everyone around the world is watching the FIFA World Cup. I'm not necessarily the biggest 'sports girly,' but my favorite way to watch sports is with other people. I think it would be really fun if people were driving by and saying, what is happening? And seeing it on the screen - like, oh! The World Cup is happening! That would be a really exciting way to stumble upon the event."
The games are broadcast throughout the months of June and July this summer. Frost says it’s recommended that guests arrive an hour or so early to get a spot and some food and drinks. The events are free and open to the public.
American Outlaws is a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting United States soccer teams. Folkways is a nonprofit that organizes community events in communal spaces.
