Beyond KC’s FIFA World Cup FanFest, Kansas City’s outlying towns plan celebrations
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas City will host six World Cup games, multiple base camps and a FanFest.
- About 85 regional viewing applications for watch parties have been submitted to FIFA.
- Lawrence will host Algeria’s base camp and Haskell will host three cultural events.
With the arrival of the FIFA World Cup, Kansas City will take center stage across the Midwest, playing host to six games, multiple teams’ base camps and a soccer FanFest billing itself as the “heart” of the celebration — think music, food and drink and big screens.
Visitors and residents alike will be able to arrive at the site of the festival — the World War I Memorial and Museum — from 15 points across the KC metro for just $5.
But why should Kansas City have all the fun?
Communities around and even outside the metro are planning their own parties and activities during the June 11-July 19 World Cup. The KC2026 organization reports that some 85 viewing applications for watch parties have been submitted from communities across the region; most of those are awaiting FIFA approval.
“Small communities can do big things,” said Pam Kramer, KC2026’s CEO.
Here’s a sampling of some of the free local events being planned around the World Cup:
Lee’s Summit
The “Goal! Lee’s Summit 2026 Soccer Celebration” will roll out Futbol Fridays starting June 12. For five consecutive Fridays, Green Street Market in downtown will be the site for live music, food trucks, games on big-screen TVs and more.
“We wanted to make sure Lee’s Summit was a welcoming and inclusive place for visitors internationally and domestically, but we also wanted to be a celebration that our own community could be a part of and something they would remember,” said Cori Day, executive director of Explore Lee’s Summit.
Lee’s Summit will have two ConnectKC26 bus routes to the big FIFA FanFest in Kansas City, from downtown and from Highway 50.
“It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the region has,” Day said. “We’re excited to showcase our community.”
Lenexa
The Lenexa City Center will be the site for three days of community events dubbed Pitch Lenexa.
Gates will open at 5 p.m. on June 12 and June 25 — days on which the U.S. Men’s National Team plays group-stage matches — as well July 11, the date of a quarterfinal-round game in Kansas City.
Food trucks, interactive soccer activities and a live DJ will be on hand will give this celebration a block-party feel. There’s space for 7,500, and Lenexa City Center also is a destination on the Region Direct bus service to the downtown KC FanFest.
Pitch Lenexa organizer Mark McFarland sees the Lenexa event, with a capacity of 7,500, as an opportunity to promote the community and local businesses.
“This is going to be our very first event, and it’s probably going to be our biggest,” McFarland said.
Cameron, Missouri
Attending a luncheon with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, a delegation from Cameron (population 8,500) listened to a discussion about the World Cup coming to Kansas City.
“We’re like, ‘Should Cameron be in on this?’” said Cameron Chamber of Commerce director Staci Earley.
The answer was yes, so “Kickin It In Cameron” was established.
“We’re 45 minutes straight north on I-35 from downtown Kansas City,” Earley said. “We decided to take this on, and we haven’t stopped since September.”
Cameron offers 300 hotel rooms that likely will be cheaper than most in Kansas City, and the Cameron Regional Medical Center is just off the interstate. In June, the town will be holding a hot-air balloon festival, “footgolf” tournament, BBQ contest and more.
Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence
The national team from Algeria will establish its base camp in Lawrence, and Kansas City will be the site of two of the squad’s group-stage games — including its opener on June 16 against defending World Cup champion Argentina.
Lawrence is also the home of Haskell Indian Nations University, which will be the site of three events throughout the World Cup: the Indigenous World Market, which includes traditional art and food on June 17; a “Powwow on the Pitch” festival on June 24, showcasing traditional dancing and singing; and an event called “Friday Facts,” which includes tours of the campus and cultural center over four consecutive Friday starting June 12.
Notably, Lawrence also is part of the ConnectKC26 Regional Direct bus service to FanFest.
Haskell business professor Dr. Jessica Burghart said the school is eager “to showcase our culture, not just for people around here, but for people around the world.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Beyond KC’s FIFA World Cup FanFest, Kansas City’s outlying towns plan celebrations."