WORLDTOWN FESTIVAL 2014: WORLD CUP EDITION AT THE PIAZZA
Worldtown International is a Philadelphia-based global arts organization with the goal of bringing diverse people together through local events, live music, and cultural celebration. Worldtown SoundSystem is a band comprised international musicians as well as a DJ duo. Worldtown has grown to a community of thousands locally and throughout the world. Indie-Life works with Worldtown in an artist/entrepreneur development capacity and planned, organized, provided sponsorship, and managed the festival.
On Saturday, June 14th, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Worldtown held their first annual Worldtown Festival: World Cup Edition at the Piazza at Schmidt’s located at 2nd Street and Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia. The First Annual Worldtown Festival sponsored by Verizon Fios was a free, all ages event open to the public attended by 5000 people with interactive activities, food trucks, and performances that reflected the city’s musical vibrancy, diverse culture, as well as the start of the 2014 World Cup.
Guests of the festival watched all 4 games that day of the opening weekend of the 2014 World Cup broadcasted on the Piazza’s 40′ high LED Jumbotron. Aside from Global Philadelphia and Visit Philly, the Worldtown Beer Garden was hosted by Sly Fox and created an exclusive Worldtown Soccer Jersey. The festival boasted a bevy of adult and family friendly activities, including two-on-two soccer tournaments, drumming, art, hooping workshops, a bazaar featuring food trucks with international cuisine, artisanal goods, fashion designs, carnival performers, and face painting, as well as multicultural activities like yoga, salsa and breakdance lessons.
Worldtown educational initiatives include workshops and mentoring, which aim to teach youth social entrepreneurship and media arts skills, propelling them toward meaningful careers. The Worldtown Summer Festival worked closely with community partner FIG Family Restoration Corporation (501c3) who accepted donations throughout the festival, as well as musical instruments and sports equipment to provide to local students in need.