GLENDALE, Calif. — Attending one of the world’s biggest sporting events can come with a price tag many families simply cannot afford. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says that shouldn’t prevent residents from experiencing the World Cup together.
Barger’s office sponsored seven community watch parties across the Fifth District, including an event in Glendale, giving residents free opportunities to gather and watch World Cup matches on large screens.
The events were held in communities including Duarte, North Hollywood, Burbank, Pasadena, Lancaster, Lake Los Angeles and Glendale.
Barger told Inclusive Voices Media the original idea was straightforward: Not everyone can go to a stadium to see a match, but communities can still share the experience.
What she says she discovered was that residents wanted more than a place to watch soccer.
They wanted a place to gather.
Community, Affordability and Life Beyond Soccer
Barger said feedback from previous watch parties has been overwhelmingly focused on one request: more.
“They love getting together. They love being with families,” Barger said.
The gatherings include activities for children and food vendors, but residents brought their own food — an intentional decision meant to keep participation affordable.
That accessibility became particularly important as families face higher living costs and the expense associated with attending major sporting events.
Barger said county officials wanted people who could not afford stadium tickets to still have an opportunity to participate in the excitement surrounding the tournament.
But the supervisor believes the appetite for these gatherings also reflects something that has been missing since the COVID-19 pandemic.
People became isolated, she said, and communities are still rediscovering the value of gathering in parks and public spaces, spending time with friends and meeting new people.
For Barger, that need is particularly visible in communities that have experienced hardship.
She pointed to Altadena and the importance of rebuilding community connections following the devastating fire there.
Soccer, she said, can create common ground.
Fans may arrive supporting different countries and cultures, but they share the experience of watching the same game together.
At a time of heightened political division, Barger described that as particularly valuable.
“It is apolitical,” she said. “It’s really about camaraderie. It’s about supporting a team. It’s about identity.”
Why Barger Calls It an Investment
Inclusive Voices Media founder, Silva Harapetian asked Barger, at a time of budget constraints and competing needs, why should government spend money on community sporting events?
Barger’s answer is that the events should be viewed as an investment rather than simply an expense.
“My job is to make decisions that benefit my constituents,” Barger said. “And this is an investment.”
She pointed to the growth of the Pasadena watch parties as evidence of demand, saying attendance grew from roughly 1,000 people at an earlier event to nearly 4,000 at a later gathering.
Barger said the benefits are both social and economic.
Large community gatherings bring potential customers into commercial districts, creating opportunities for restaurants, food vendors and other small businesses to generate revenue.
That means the public investment can produce dividends outside the event itself.
But Barger said the most important return may be harder to quantify.
It is thousands of people gathering in the same place, meeting their neighbors, spending time with their families and sharing an experience without their political affiliations determining whether they belong.
For Barger, that is precisely why the events are worth supporting.
Resources may be limited, she acknowledged, but bringing people together is also part of investing in the health of a community.
And if the response from residents is any indication, their appetite for those opportunities may extend well beyond the final whistle of the World Cup.
