EASTHAMPTON — The city of Easthampton, in partnership with 4Life Entertainment Corporation, hosted a World Cup soccer watch party on Friday at Millside Park as the first of five events in the “Millside Summer Series.”

With Team USA facing off against Australia in its second game of the 2026 World Cup, thousands of fans showed up to cheer for their country. With three massive screens, food trucks, beer tents, a section for kids to play and more, people of all ages had a reason to attend the event.

“This is what our community needs right now, an opportunity to be able to come together face to face, and people are spending money, people are traveling to Easthampton to say, ‘Wow, look at this beautiful spot. Like, how cool is this?'” Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby said. “That’s exactly what my job as mayor is to try to encourage people coming to our community, realizing how great it is.”

Diehard fans and casual onlookers found unity on Friday, with each goal and close chance in Team USA’s 2-0 victory creating a huge roar throughout the crowd.

The experience of being a part of the crowd was a big draw for many fans who would’ve otherwise watched the game at home.

“I have World Cup fever, and there’s only one cure, and this is it,” Easthampton resident Clare Boyd said. “I just wanted to be in a big crowd with a lot of positive USA vibes, and people cheering all together.”

Another huge reason for the great atmosphere was the lack of an admission price to attend the event. Easthampton received a $100,000 matching grant through the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT), allowing the event to be free of charge.

Vendors in attendance were also brought in with no charge, from food and drinks to face paint and henna tattoos. Parking also had no cost, with shuttles running back and forth to lots nearby.

“I’m seeing vibrancy,” 4Life Founder and Lead Executive Spencer Lavoie said. “I see a lot of children playing, I see families together, I see the businesses around here gaining momentum and sales. I see the local breweries, the local vendors, that we all let in for free. To me, this is what community is all about, and it’s a beautiful thing being able to provide it at no cost for everybody.”

Originally, the watch party wasn’t set to be at Millside Park, with some other venues in contention. A change in layout helped make the park the perfect spot for those who put it together.

Moving the food trucks and other vendors off the grass opened up a huge area for kids to kick soccer balls around, shoot on the basketball hoop and play on the playground equipment.

“This is exactly the way that I envisioned it,” Derby said. “When I first thought about this, initially, we were thinking about Daley Field. And then I was like, ‘I really wish we could do Millside Park.’ We found out that the skate park wasn’t [going to] be built until later, and so, we brought it [to Millside Park], and this is better than I could have imagined.”

With the recent override affecting Easthampton property owners, having Friday be a day where all residents could come together and root for a common goal came at the perfect time.

“We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs as a community, and when we get opportunities to come together and just recognize our neighbors and everyone in the community, here, together, that we’re all experiencing this positive thing together, I think it’s just really good,” Boyd said.

When Friday’s date was first solidified, Team USA’s game had yet to be scheduled, with 4Life and the city planning on just showing the Scotland and Morocco game later on at 6 p.m.

Live music was set to accompany the game initially, continuing on as planned despite a schedule change. Once the USA game was announced, event planners decided to open earlier in the afternoon, giving fans the opportunity to see their country on the big screen.

“I kicked the team, I gave them a little nudge, I said, ‘Hey, let’s start a little earlier and get the USA game,'” Lavoie said. “It was a natural fit, and the fans came out to watch.

“We’ve had a great marketing campaign, and a great response with the community,” Lavoie continued. “We definitely anticipated that it was [going to] be big, but this is definitely beyond what we were expecting.”

Team USA winning was the cherry on top of a day filled with positivity, with the community heading out of the event on a high note.

Continuing on after Friday, the Millside Summer Series has four other dates planned with more World Cup viewing, live music and vendors in attendance. The next comes on June 20, along with June 26, 27 and 29, finishing with a laser-light show celebrating the history of Easthampton and America’s 250th anniversary.

“This is a wonderful atmosphere,” Boyd said. “It’s so good for our community. It’s very fun. It’s good for soccer. It’s been great to see all the different sites in the U.S. having so much joy and positivity. That’s what soccer’s all about.”

“If you like sports, music, culture, beer, food and having a great time, then you have to come,” Derby said.