6 events in Passaic County with a date

34 groups will split $5M to be sued for public experiences

By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... New Jersey will spend millions to fund dozens of public fan experiences and community events for the FIFA World Cup in June and July. [2026]
..... At an event in Pennsaukan on May 6, [2026] Governor Mikie Sherrill named 34 organizations that will organize and execute fan events during the soccer tournament.
..... The 34 groups will split $5 million to be sued for public fan experiences and community events during the event.
..... The initiative took the place of the fan festival that had been planned for Liberty State Park before those plans were scrapped.
..... Sherrill called the tournament a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase New Jersey on the global state."
..... "These grants will help ensure that the benefits of hoisting the World Cup extend beyond the walls of the stadium," she said in a statement. "through this initiative we are supporting small businesses and empowering communities across New Jersey to cerate exciting experiences that bring residents and visitors together throughout our state ahead of the tournament, and during the World Cup."
..... The money will be used for fan zones, street fairs, watch parties and festivals throughout the state in an effort to support small businesses and communities.
..... Three groups, including one led by the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, will receive regional, multi-day, multi-location grants.
..... These are:
* flag cities (June 8 to July 16), led by the Meadowlands Regional Chamber, will take place across Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties, including in Bayonne, East Rutherford, Hackensack, Jersey City, Newark, Paterson and Secaucus.
* North to shore Festival (June 13 to July 16) presented by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, will take place in Essex, Monmouth and Atlantic counties.
* Visit South Jersey World Cup Activations - Camden County (May 2 to July 19), produced by Visit South Jersey, will take place in Camden County.
..... the resit of the organizations selected will receive smaller community experience grants. Those include events in Fort Lee, Paterson, Maplewood, Hoboken and Jersey City.
..... The full list of smaller grant recipients:
* AACCNJ World Cup Business Access and Economic Activation Initiative (July 17), sponsored by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey in Trenton.
* The Battle of Basking Ridge Soccer Village & Viewing Party (June 13), sponsored by somerset County in Bernads Township.
* Watch party combined with Atlantic City Beach fest ( Latin Fest) ( July 18 to 19), sponsored by Visit Atlantic City in Atlantic City.
* World Cup 2026 watch parties (June 19; June 28; July 15; July 19), sponsored by the borough of Fort Lee in Fort Lee.
* downtown viewing event (July 19), sponsored by the Grater Asbury Park chamber of Commerce in Asbury Park.
* Freedom to Pay: Inclusive World cup soccer experience at The NAACP Juneteenth Freedom Experience (June 6), sponsored by the Mccovic Foundation in Edison.
* Game On! (June 12; July 12), sponsored b the Urban League of Union County in Elizabeth and Union.
* Hackettstwon street fair with World cup celebration (July 19), sponsored by the Hackettstown Business Improvement District in Hackettstwon.
* The Hallway Poit: Flemington's World Cup Celebration (June 19), sponsored by the Flemington Improvement District in Flemington.
* Hoboken Arts and Music Festival (May 17; September 27), sponsored by the city of Hoboken in Hoboken.
* Hub city Fan celebration 2026 (July 2), sponsored by the city of New Brunswick' Department of Human and community Services in New Brunswick.
* International Food and Dance Festival (July 12), sponsored by the Lackawanna Montclair Market LLC in Montclair.
* Ivy Hill Soccer Fest 2026 (May 23; June 19 to 20; July 9 to 12), sponsored by the Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association in Newark.
* Linden Welcomes the world: World Cup Activation series (June 12 to 19), sponsored by the Uptown Linden Special Improvement District in Linden.
* Maplewoodstock (July 11 to 12), sponsored by the Music & Arts Education Project Incorporated in Maplewood.
* Mount Holly World Cup Downtown Activation Series (June 19 to 20), sponsored by the mount Holly UEZ in Mount Holly.
* New Jersey Youth Mini world Cup 2026 - Trenton Host City Activation (June 20), sponsored by the United States Latino Affairs Initiatives in Trenton.
* Ocean County World Cup Watch Parties (June 14, 19; July 19), sponsored by the Ocean County Public Affairs Division of Business development and Tourism in Little Egg Harbor Township, Jackson Township and Lakewood.
* Passport to Paterson: A world Cup Experience (June 13; June 19; June 25; June 27; July 19), sponsored by the Andre Sayegh civic Association in Paterson.
* Red bank World Cup Activation Series (June and July), sponsored by the borough of Red Bank in Red Bank.
* Saturday Heights LIVE Watch Party (June 13), sponsored by HIP INC, in Haddon Heights.
* Summer of Soccer & science (June 6 to July 17; June; June 24; July 9), sponsored by Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.
* Tri-County Fair 2026 (June 18 to 21), sponsored by the CARE Center of New Jersey in Rockaway.
* Carteret World Cup Festival (June 11 to July 19), sponsored by the Carteret Business Partnership in Carteret.
* Newark International Food Festival (July 18), sponsored by the Newark alliance in Newark.
* Union city Soccer Festival & Fan celebration (June 13), sponsored by the city of Union city in collaboration with the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of commerce in union city.* Welcome world! Princeton's Global food Festival & World Cup Watch Party 2026 ( June 20; June 28; July 14), sponsored by Experience Princeton in Princeton.
* The world on Central ( July 10 to 11), sponsored by the city of Jersey City in Jersey City.
* WorldCupGardenState.com Esports Tournament (June and July), sponsored by thee sport Innovation Center in Atlantic City, Glassboro and Newark.
* World Cup on the Waterfront at Food Truck Tuesdays (June 9; June 23; July 14), sponsored by Main Street Burlington in Burlington.
* world Cup Watch Party & cultural festival (June 27), sponsored by the Somerset County Business Partnership in Hillsborough.
..... the $5 million being used to fund these grants had been previously allocated for sue on the Liberty State Park fan festival. That event had been touted as the "central gathering place for fans from across the world," before consideration of the logistics of handling tens of thousands of fans daily throughout the torment was deemed untenable.

..... Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

HOME