KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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Lenexa City Center's open green space will transform into a World Cup watch party beginning Friday.
Pitch Lenexa is organizing the event, which will feature a stage with screens visible from anywhere on the green, a family fun zone, a beer garden and food trucks.
Mark McFarland, president of Pitch Lenexa, said the organization has been preparing for the event for some time.
"We've been planning and preparing for the last 1456 days, and we're ready," said McFarland.
He wants the event to bring together residents, visitors, and people from around the world.
"We want the community to come together, people from outside of the community to come see what we have, people that are here from around the world. We want them to all come and share and just have a good time," McFarland said.
I met one resident that plans to attend, David Waltersheid, while he was sitting down the street at the Lenexa Public Market.
"All of a sudden it's here and there's a lot of excitement in the city," Waltersheid said.
He plans to bring his whole family with him.
"Three generations of us will be wandering around the area checking things out. This is the place to be," Waltersheid said.
Pitch Lenexa says they’ll begin setting up Thursday afternoon. Expect the green space around City Center Dr. & Hampton St. to be fenced off, with a couple of road closures in place as crews prepare for Friday night’s opening.
Upcoming Pitch Lenexa watch party dates — gates open at 5 p.m.:
- Friday, June 12, 2026
- Thursday, June 25, 2026
- Saturday, July 11, 2026
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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