Your Everett Waterfront Watch Party Game Plan: Shuttles, Kid Zone, and What to Expect

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Tyler Chism
Picture this, on the fan zone dates, June 11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th. The Waterfront Watch parties open up two hours before kickoff. So make sure to get there two hours before, and then we'll have lots of fun and games kind of leading up in that two hours, of course. So the kid zone will be hopping, our MC will be working the crowd, we'll have DJs matches are about two hours, give or take, we'll have half time. That's going to be a really fun time for like giveaways and kind of working the crowd. We will have a t-shirt can and maybe we won't. But then the match will end and then we'll have like awesome live entertainment. And then on the daytime games, those will end with a DJ and a foam party.

[00:00:41:08 - 00:00:49:20]
Emily
That's the vibe. That's the point. And if you're listening from Snohomish County thinking, okay, how do I actually plug into that? We've got you.

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Kyle
This is from Pitch to Puget Sound. Let's get you ready.

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Kyle
Welcome back to from Pitch to Puget Sound. The practical guide to the 2026 World Cup experience in and around Snohomish County.

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Emily
I'm Emily. I'm here for the civic side. What's happening, how it works and how everyone can plug in without needing a soccer PhD.

[00:01:11:14 - 00:01:20:13]
Kyle
And I'm Kyle deep diving soccer history, culture, why this all matters and how you can feel ready and feel involved as we get ready for the World Cup.

[00:01:20:13 - 00:01:35:07]
Emily
Today's about a deeper dive into the fan zone. We're going to start with a quick reminder of why there's a need for a fan zone from Tammy Dunn from the Snohomish County Sports Commission. And then we'll go deeper with Kat Soper from the Port of Everett and Tyler Chisholm from the city of Everett.

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Kyle
Let's get straight into it.

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Emily
So what is a fan zone exactly and why is it important and why do we need it here in Everett?

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Kyle
A FIFA fan zone is honestly an official public viewing event that's been sanctioned by FIFA. So this is a real FIFA supported event where you can watch the World Cup while being around a large community.

[00:01:54:21 - 00:02:12:02]
Emily
And we're lucky to have that. I think it's an amazing opportunity for our community. And now that we know what it is, why is it important for us? So we're going to flashback to our interview with Tammy Dunn from the Snohomish Sports Commission about the fan zones, what it is and why it will play an important role this summer.

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Tammy Dunn
Internationally, people are going to come and stay for like five or six days. And so if you have people staying for five or six days, then you need to have something for them to do, a place for them to stay. But I think the other thing is, is that soccer is the world's game. It's a beautiful game and it's well known around the country. And from past World Cup games, they've had people come to an area and they may not even have a ticket, but they want to be near it because they're avid soccer fans. And so we're going to see that where people will want to be in the same city, though they may not have a ticket. Well, with Everett, we have a fan zone. One cool part about Seattle hosting matches for the World Cup is that we have a kind of a statewide fan zone. So there are nine fan zones. Everett is one of them. And with Everett, what we have worked on is that we're calling them the Waterfront Watch Parties, and we are going to host four fan zones down on the port of Everett, the Boxcar Park.

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Kyle
That's honestly a perfect setup for how this event and how the World Cup in general is bigger than just the folks in Everett. This fan zone is an opportunity to entertain more than just people in Everett, people that are coming from all around the world, all around the country, even if they're not at the matches in Seattle or Vancouver.

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Emily
There may be only four days and four matches for the watch parties here in Snalomish County, but they are going to make a huge impact.

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Kyle
So let's dive into learning more about these fan zones, what to expect come June, and how you can get involved and be ready to come experience the event.

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Emily
Let's start with the biggest misconception that a fan zone is only for hardcore soccer fans or that you need to show up already knowing chance, players, rules, any of that.

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Kyle
You definitely don't. And the best part in my mind is that it's free. You can come, you don't need a ticket. It's free for all, for friends, family, a bunch of people. And that's awesome.

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Emily
Amazing. And here's Kat, who's been deep in the planning, explaining what this is actually supposed to feel like.

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Cat Soper
I don't think you need to know anything about soccer. This is a family friendly event. There will be music, kids activities, food and beverage, you know, anything that you would expect at a waterfront event already or festival. We have our winter tide and holiday on the Bay festivals here in Everett, but with a soccer theme. So come knowing nothing about soccer, leave knowing a little bit more about soccer or be a complete fanatic and just completely like enjoy this experience with the community. So I think you could be either or. I'm a soccer mom. I know very little about anything soccer except for coordinated chaos on a small pitch. So and there will be a little bit of that here. So definitely come and check out the kid zone.

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Emily
That come no nothing. Leave knowing a little bit more line. That's the vibe.

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Kyle
That's honestly an invitation to everyone. Come out, enjoy some soccer. Come have fun.

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Emily
And if you've ever been down on the Everett waterfront for a festival, that's a helpful mental picture.

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Kyle
And honestly, we've been talking a lot about this in previous episodes about how this event isn't just for those that know soccer and everything else. This is for everyone. That's the same energy, right? Just come to an event. There's a giant screen.

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Kyle
Just with the crowd, all that kind of stuff. Just have fun.

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Emily
It's going to be incredible. Okay, let's make this extremely practical.

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Kyle
Oh, yes, I do love a good game plan.

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Emily
Here's the simple version. Park once, shuttle in, follow the crowd. Tyler Chisholm lays out the shuttle pickup points. And there's one detail that's going to matter if you're trying to find the right stop.

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Tyler Chism
So the watch party days are going to start with folks grabbing the free shuttle at Everett Station or any of the bus stops on Hewitt Avenue and our historic and hip downtown. So just a word you want to grab the bus stop, the shuttle going west, not east if you're not from here. Okay. So westbound Hewitt or Everett Station. The shuttle is going to drop you off right at the doorstep at Fisherman's Tribute statue here at Waterfront Place.

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Emily
Westbound Hewitt, that's the kind of detail that saves you 10 minutes of walking in circles. I would know.

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Kyle
And 10 minutes of having to explain to your friends that you're definitely in the right place even though you're definitely not.

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Emily
Then once you get dropped off, here's what it feels like when you arrive.

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Tyler Chism
You're just going to smell the smells of the food trucks. You're going to hear the MC on the stage. You're going to hear the DJ. You're going to see a bunch of soccer fans and you're going to follow them. And you're going to go through a really easy, fun security screening. And then you're going to walk into this beautiful watch party with a big screen, tons of family fun. And beer garden for those who like to partake and just great views. Boats going by, the sound of the marina, the seagulls, all of that kind of stuff.

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Emily
I love that he mentions security being easy.

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Kyle
That's a real factor for families. And honestly, if you're coming with kids or friends, make sure you pick up a meeting spot early. Like before you get distracted by all that crazy food trucks and the giant screens, make sure you know where you're going to meet each other. That's a big deal.

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Emily
Yeah. Find your spot.

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Kyle
Exactly.

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Emily
And that's also a real factor for everyone's mood.

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Kyle
Totally.

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Emily
Now let's zoom in because once you're in, the best day is the day when you're not wandering around like, wait, where's the screen? Where's the kid's stuff? Where's the food?

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Kyle
It's my favorite day because the day that you get to claim your spot, because ultimately that means it's match day.

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Emily
Exactly. Bring the low back chair energy, bring the blanket energy

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Kyle
and bring that have fun energy, bring that I'm here to learn something and or just enjoy the atmosphere.

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Emily
That is a walkthrough on site and it's basically the cheat code for picturing the whole thing.

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Cat Soper
So we're here at Boxcar Park. The screen will be right here on the north side of the park where you can see the muse right next to it. We have a huge two acre area where people will be able to bring their low back chairs and bring blankets out in the park and and sit about where you see these cars right here. This will all be the food truck zone. So we'll have about 10 to 12 food trucks here. And right beyond that, right at the end of this park where we're heading toward, that'll be the kid's zone. The Blue Kite Shelter is there. That's where Imagine Children's Museum will set up and do all of their cultural and educational activities that'll be really exciting. So now as we're looking from the kid's zone, this is where we'll have all the pop-up pitches where kids can get in on the game there, as well as the grass just to the south of us here. And then in between, we'll have all the kids activities where you can get your face painted, get a balloon, do some video gaming and things like that and more.

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Kyle
Honestly that part lawn seeding to me, that feels like soccer culture.

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Emily
Say more.

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Kyle
It's really simple. Find a patch of grass, make friends, watch together. And like it takes me back to backyard soccer vibes or peewee soccer. Friends and families hanging around a soccer field, watching a bunch of soccer happen and honestly just enjoying the vibes. It's not about winning or losing, it's about having fun and enjoying outdoors.

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Emily
But the space is actually pretty expansive. When we walked around there, I mean just imagining where the screen was going to be, 40 foot screen, imagining where the kid's zone was going to be, you know, you can see everything, but it's going to be huge. And I'm actually quite sure that we're going to fill this big space too with a lot of awesome people.

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Kyle
And luckily for such a big event, it's super easy to get into. Just join in from anywhere nearby.

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Cat Soper
So right in front of the mews there, there will be the one in, only one in, and we're exploring multiple ways out that will be at Manned Doors. But really just for that, again, as Tyler mentioned, that safe experience, nothing too crazy to get in, but definitely enough to make sure everyone's safe and getting in efficiently.

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Emily
That's important. This isn't a commit for six hours or don't come situation. It's going to be welcoming.

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Kyle
So it's not going to be like that in-laws wedding that you were stuck in. That's fantastic. So come and go as you need, enjoy the event and just have fun.

[00:10:18:13 - 00:10:22:07]
Emily
Exactly. Okay, quick behind the scenes moment.

[00:10:22:07 - 00:10:24:11]
Kyle
Because this doesn't happen by accident.

[00:10:24:11 - 00:10:32:17]
Emily
If you've ever wondered how does a city pull off something that feels like World Cup, the answer is a lot of planning and a lot of partners.

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Kyle
Tyler shared with us what's going into it and how there's a key line in here about how FIFA plays an important role in making this all a reality.

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Tyler Chism
It would have been impossible if it wasn't for the partnerships that we forged. Speaking on behalf of the city, I would say, especially with the port and especially with the sports commission and also Snohomish County and local law enforcement. Without that, I feel like none of this would really be possible. FIFA has also been a great partner. Everett's wanted nine designated fan zones in the state, which is awesome for the city of Everett to be a designated fan zone and have this partnership. And that's opened up a lot of doors for us and a lot of resources.

[00:11:12:01 - 00:11:15:05]
Tyler Chism
For resource in the event, through our shuttle operations,

[00:11:16:06 - 00:11:28:23]
Tyler Chism
which is everything we need to do to get people down to our official fan zone events, to all the public safety, that's been grant funded. And those opportunities have come our way because of the partnership with FIFA, I would say.

[00:11:28:23 - 00:12:14:16]
Cat Soper
And I would say on top of that, partnerships is really the key word. All boats rise with the tide as you hear. But we really can't do it all. Just the three organizations that are on this MOU. You heard about our work with the Everett Chamber. That's been huge to activate the business side. But for activating the watch party, we can't even do that alone. What does this look like with the kid activities? Working with Imagine Children's Museum is one of our strong partners for the kid zone, as well as Everett Music Initiative. I think everyone, if you come to the waterfront, you expect a musical experience, if you're local anyway. So having them on board to support the pre and post entertainment with music and DJs has been huge. And as Tyler mentioned, Everett Transit. And there's a slew of other partners involved, but those are the key partners that I would say are really making sure the watch party is coming together.

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Emily
Impossible without partnerships.

[00:12:17:16 - 00:12:18:06]
Emily
That's the headline.

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Kyle
And when he says FIFA has been a good partner, what I hear is there are real expectations here to make sure that this is a fantastic experience for everyone. This has a big set of names associated with it. So they're going to make sure this is a fun event and well worth attending.

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Emily
Which is why it's going to feel legit.

[00:12:36:10 - 00:12:42:16]
Emily
Now if you're listening as a local or you run a business, here's the part where you're not just watching something happen.

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Kyle
You have a chance to be part of the story.

[00:12:44:10 - 00:12:50:18]
Emily
Tyler does a sponsor and partner roll call that honestly sounds like a community group project in the best way.

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Tyler Chism
I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention all the partners we're working with on financial and in-kind sponsorship. Tulalip Tribes have really stepped up for us as a kind of top tier signature sponsor. We also have Airbnb, the local Snohomish County LTAC, the Launch and Tax Advisory Committee really stepped up to help support Snohomile Libraries, Dicks Drive-In, local Anheuser-Busch distributor. And then some really fun stuff. We have a partnership with Studer Grove and Rupitino. They're going to haul away all of our trash and compost for free. But they're also going to provide compostable serviceware to all of our food trucks at cost so that we can meet FIFA's sustainability goals around limiting what we throw into the landfill.

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Emily
That list is a reminder. This is a whole ecosystem, a whole infrastructure.

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Kyle
It's not just the sports people that are involved in this. We have libraries, local Native American tribes, local funding. It's a big community all coming together to make this a reality.

[00:13:53:00 - 00:13:58:17]
Emily
And if you run a shop, a restaurant, a service business, your job isn't to become a soccer expert.

[00:13:58:17 - 00:14:02:07]
Kyle
Your job is to make sure that you're ready for when people show up at your doorstep.

[00:14:02:07 - 00:14:05:13]
Emily
Be welcoming, be clear, and pick one simple thing.

[00:14:05:13 - 00:14:06:23]
Kyle
Like a matchday special.

[00:14:06:23 - 00:14:10:13]
Emily
A window sign. Some sort of trivia night. A photo spot.

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Kyle
Soccer fans love these kinds of things, these little rituals.

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Emily
Yes.

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Kyle
And if you give people something that's a repeatable ritual, a place to meet, a thing to eat, a photo to take, they'll keep coming back.

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Emily
And if you're marketing anything around this, be creative, but be smart about language.

[00:14:28:09 - 00:14:40:14]
Kyle
And if you want the deeper, what can we say and what can't we say guidance, Tammy's playbook section is gold. That's going to get linked down in the bottom of our show notes. So definitely take a look as a local business if you're hoping to get into that.

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Kyle
Okay, Emily, we spent a lot of time now talking about what to expect, but are you ready yourself for this event?

[00:14:50:12 - 00:14:53:20]
Emily
Well, I'm sure Kyle, you have a list. So everyone brace.

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Kyle
I have some things. We're not going to get into it today. I know, I know. That's going to be one of our upcoming episodes. We're going to go into a ton of detail about what you can bring, what you can't bring, what types of rules there are. Do I need that clear plastic bag that's required at Seahawks games, even though that's the most annoying thing on the face of the earth? I have a personal vendetta against clear plastic bags. But that's besides the point. Do you need those things? And if you're a soccer fan or even not a soccer fan, how can you make sure you feel like you belong? Because that's a huge part of this is you don't necessarily want to show up and not feel like you're there. So we're going to give you some tips and some tricks and things to look into to make sure you feel ready and feel like you're a part of the community from that first moment you step in.

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Emily
Absolutely. Emily needs a dress code. So let's go.

[00:15:37:21 - 00:15:39:17]
Kyle
We're going to be getting into that for sure.

[00:15:39:17 - 00:15:44:00]
Emily
If you want the official details, we'll link the fan zone page in the show notes.

[00:15:44:00 - 00:15:48:17]
Kyle
And if you happen to go, send us a note. What did it feel like? What surprised you?

[00:15:48:17 - 00:15:56:11]
Emily
One quick disclaimer, always follow posted rules and onsite staff guidance and use official sources for the most up to date info.

[00:15:56:11 - 00:16:04:11]
Kyle
Be safe out there. Be smart, but definitely have fun. Next time we're going to keep building your World Cup summer plan one practical story at a time.

[00:16:04:11 - 00:16:06:11]
Emily
We'll see you out there on the pitch

[00:16:06:11 - 00:16:08:13]
Kyle
or out there at Boxcar Park.

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Emily
Quick note, this podcast is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA or the FIFA World Cup.