KANSAS CITY – Kansas City prides itself on being known as the “heart of America” – a boast about local hospitality that doubles up as a play on words given its location slap bang in the middle of the country.
That not-so-subtle message whacks you in the face the minute you walk into Kansas City’s spectacular Fifa Fan Fest to be greeted by a giant luminous red heart structure that frames the whole thing.
It feels suspiciously like a sop to the Instagram generation’s need to document their every move and sure enough, people have barely stepped foot inside the event before they are lining up to get their photos taken next to it.
Fans are greeted by a giant luminous red heart structure that is impossible to miss (Photo: Fifa)I am a veteran of these things now – from the soulless half-empty Doha fan zone to the Munich version that ran out of beer a few hours after Scotland fans got in – and Kansas City’s offering sums up the vibe of this World Cup pretty nicely.
It is incredibly friendly, relentlessly enthusiastic, brilliantly organised and unapologetically corporate. It is free to get in but once you are inside, bring your credit card. It is really not cheap.
Football? I visited on the night the United States opened up with a fine 4-1 win against Paraguay and the locals were happy enough.
Fireworks set off from the towering First World War monument greeted every goal – and Folarin Balogun’s disallowed effort, for good measure – and it was a nice change of pace not to be showered in beer or performative “limbs”.
Everyone tells me Mexico feels more fervent – and the real party will be reserved for Argentina, who seem to have just as much support in these parts as Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Fifa’s Fan Fest has proven immensely popular with locals despite the eye-watering prices (Photo: Fifa)I took a stroll on Friday and it is nice that they have managed to put a local twist on things, despite the corporate boxes that needed to be ticked. There are puppies at the Purina stand that you can adopt – you can imagine how popular they are – and the Kansas City Royals baseball team are represented with a mini replica locker room.
Home Depot’s stand has been christened “Beckham’s Backyard” and you can queue up to have a go at a keepy up competition.
If you don’t fancy lining up, there are footballs dotted around the festival that kids are merrily dribbling around the park. You wonder how long they would last if we tried the same thing at an average Premier League match.
There are also loads of big screens and a stage for live music. But we have got to talk about those prices, which are truly eye-watering. It is $19 – more than £14 – for a pint of Michelob, Budweiser or Busch Light. Try £21 for a double vodka cocktail and £3.75 for a bag of crisps or Tortillas.
Food is just as expensive. I paid $25 (£19) for an admittedly delicious beef brisket from KC’s Best BBQ and $7 (£5) for an Americano from Mocha Point Coffee.
Alcohol is particularly extortionate, as seen displayed above this bar here (Photo: Supplied) Doughnuts come in all shapes and sizes – including this strange green one (Photo: Supplied) If mountains of fried chicken are your thing, you’re in the right place (Photo: Supplied)But here is where the hosts have hit up on something a little bit different – in a city that prides itself on its cuisine all the kiosks have been handed over to local vendors to push their restaurants. So you have got pizza, copious barbecue options, lobster roll, sushi and doughnuts. Lots and lots of doughnuts.
I shelled out $14 (£10) for a non-alcoholic Michelob during the first half to take the tab to £35 and that was before I had the chance to stroll through the Fifa fan store, where they are selling the “pro” version of the Trionda official ball for $200 (£148).
To be fair to local organisers, all of this is optional. It is free to get in – although you do have to register first – and they are putting on complimentary shuttle buses to ferry people to and from the field.
Kansas is making a big play to showcase the city and region this month as a home for world-class events and tourism and Mallory Cage, the Fan Fest director, tells me they want to rid themselves of their reputation as being a “fly-over state” and showcase “what makes the city great”.
The secret weapon is the people because the vibes here? They are immaculate.
Within five minutes of sitting down in the shade three locals tucking into Asian fusion – think steamed gyozas and fried chicken – have struck up a conversation and are offering tourist tips. One is a Tottenham Hotspur fan and seems genuinely impressed that I know Alasdair Gold, Football London’s Spurs correspondent and all-round nice guy.
A few minutes into our chat, I got the offer of playing in a “pick up” game on Saturday morning.
What did our intrepid reporter make of the food and drink?
KC Beef Brisket in a bun – $25 (£19)
The stall claimed these are Kansas City’s best and it was absolutely delicious – tender beef dripping with barbecue sauce, served in a bun. They pride themselves on barbecue in Kansas City and you can see why. 8/10Steamed pork dumplings with spinach salad – $18 (£13)
Asian fusion seems to be a popular second behind barbecue in Kansas City and the dumplings were decent. I was advised to go pork rather than vegetable and they came with a spinach salad that had every bit of nutritious goodness zapped out of it by being drizzled with sauce. 6.5/10Michelob Zero – $14 (£10)
A World Cup sponsor so they have elbowed their way into this culinary journey. Weak, tasteless and ridiculously expensive. Steer clear. 0/10It doesn’t end there. Queuing up in the line to get a free World Cup wristband at the Bank of America stand – for my two kids, honestly – I got chatting to a local who arrived in Kansas City 40 years ago via Mexico. He is also a mad Argentina fan but – true to form – has been massively priced out of the game at the Arrowhead Stadium next week.
“My son wanted to get me a ticket for Father’s Day. He was insisting but it’s $800 and he’s a nurse – so I’ll watch at home with a beer,” he tells me.
Kansas has tried, at least, to make the experience affordable. If only the wretched suits at FIFA were paying attention.
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