We did it! We checked out the Philly FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill. I brought my two kids, ages 4 and (almost) 2. Here’s what I learned.
1.) Phlash Is Where It’s At
The Philly Phlash is amazing. I had no idea. I’ve lived in Philly for over 20 years and have never taken this bus. It’s a tourist bus, or so I thought. It runs every day covering all the main tourism spots in Philly. What I didn’t realize? It’s FREE to SEPTA Key Card Holders. That’s right, FREE. I can’t tell you how many times I could have used this bus to get to the Philadelphia Museum of Art or Franklin Institute or any number of places. Get there, faster than any other option, at no cost. You don’t even need to swipe your pass. Just show it to the driver when you get on.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
Not only that (and maybe it’s just me), but the ride was also extra friendly. I boarded with the kids at 6th and Market and we rode the bus to the FIFA Fan Festival stop with lots of super friendly people. It wasn’t grumpy Philadelphians on their way to or from work. We rode with happy tourists on vacation, chatting with and making funny faces at my children. I’ve also never had more people offer to assist me and my children and our stroller as we got on and off the bus. The difference from our usual daily Septa ride was almost startling.
If headed to the FIFA Fan Festival, you get off the bus at Phlash stop Number 9 at the corner of Pennsylvania and Fairmount Ave. It’s a very quick walk to the festival from there. Close, but if traveling with small children, I still recommend a stroller. The Phlash bus pickup spot to return home is at the same intersection. On our way back there was an ice cream truck at that intersection. We got some ice cream while we waited for the bus (as you do), but be warned – the Phlash bus does not allow open food/drinks on the bus. Eat your ice cream before you board.
2.) Bring Snacks
This is sort of Parenting 101, but while there are a lot of food and drink options at the festival, it adds up. I think I spent over $100 on just myself and the kids. There aren’t a ton of toddler friendly options either. We ate tots, pizza and pretzel dogs. I loved the Mexican street corn. Eating beforehand is more cost-effective, or just bring enough snacks to keep the kids happy and your wallet happier too. Just double check what you are allowed to bring in HERE.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI3.) Kids Activities
We found a few kids activities in the Home Depot exhibit first. Kids can pick a mosaic color for a chance to win prizes. (We won two packs of fruit snacks. They were a hit.) There’s also a spot to color a cardboard Home Depot fan, and they give you a cute wooden soccer craft to take home.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
There’s a KIA exhibit just next door with a way to make your own personal digital soccer trading card.
The Bank of America spot has these great viral FIFA collectible charm bracelets. They’re so popular though, that you need to get there first each day when the festival opens and try to be one of the few to get a wristband, color coded with your reserved time slot to make your bracelet. Here’s more on the process. Better than waiting in line for hours, as many did before they put this bracelet process in place.
There are spots to play foosball and get your face painted in your team’s colors. The Philadelphia Union also has a bunch of stuff for older kids. A mini pitch, soccer cages, skill sessions for passing and shooting. I didn’t really see much for the toddlers in that area, but some great stuff for kids of soccer age to play with one another and do some passing drills too.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
Not a ton for littles overall, but there’s plenty of space to run and lots of music too. There were DJ’s playing sets between all the games. Both of my kids squealed and danced when their favorite song “A.P.T.” came on. The music really set the mood and created more of a festive atmosphere.
4.) THE PLAYGROUND!
This was something we easily could have done much closer to home, it was the highlight for us. We spent hours at the playground inside the festival. It’s not an exhibit or an official part of the attractions. It’s just the normal playground inside Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park. Available to all, FIFA or not, and it’s great! We had a blast playing with other families dressed in all their different jersey colors. Since the playground is still within the festival, you still have a bit of the atmosphere. We weren’t close enough to watch any actual soccer, but there was something cool about hearing the music and the cheers while pushing your kids on the swings on a beautiful summer night.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI5.) Staying Cool
There’s not a lot of shade, but they do their best to help you stay cool at the festival. There are several water stations set up to refill water bottles. Bring a refillable bottle with you, but check the permitted items. There are no metal water bottles allowed. We were sure to leave our kid’s stainless steel bottles at home. We refilled their plastic bottles a few times, no problem. They have some great fans blowing cool air and mist throughout the festival too.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI6.) Free, But You Do Need a Ticket
Don’t forget to preregister before you go. The FIFA Fan Festival is free to attend, but you have to register for a free ticket ahead of time. Register HERE. They didn’t check our tickets (and typically don’t check), but on more popular game days they may reach capacity and begin checking tickets. The security process for checking our bags and stroller was really easy and fast. No worries there. Again, check HERE for what you can or can’t bring in.
7.) Take Too Many Photos of Your Kids and Need a Charge?
There are charging lockers at the festival. I’d never heard of these before. You rent a locker. Plug your phone or device into one of the cords provided inside the locker. Come back later to a charged device. Maybe it’s just me, but I thought that was pretty cool. $5 for a medium sized locker, $10 for a large.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIHAVE FUN!
Overall, I think Philly really nailed it with the FIFA Fan Festival. It was easy to access. Comfortable with lots of places to stay cool or sit down. The food prices did add up, but it was comparable with most sporting events. The security and volunteers were helpful and friendly. I would recommend checking it out, even if it’s to just play on the playground for a few hours as we did.
Oh! And you can watch soccer too.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
If you want your kids to dress the part, HERE‘s a great sale on soccer jerseys and full sets at Carter’s.
Unrelated, but since this post is for parents, have you checked out BEN’s Big Deal this week? Half price Storybook Land tickets while supplies last! Get yours HERE.