Douglas County to host free, ticketed World Cup watch parties June 27 and July 19

Douglas County District 2 Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones said Friday that the county will host two family-friendly World Cup watch parties — on June 27 and July 19 — to showcase local hotels, restaurants and parks and to attract visitors back to the county.

The events, organizers said, are free but require tickets. "Tickets will go on sale June 1" for the June event and "July 1" for the July event, Ebony Hammonds, executive director of Douglas County Travel and Tourism, said. Organizers directed residents to watchcupdouglas.com for registration and said tickets help planners estimate attendance.

The watch parties are funded in part through tourism-product development (TPD) dollars from the county’s hotel-motel tax, Hammonds explained. She described three categories of hotel-motel tax revenue: a county general fund, a tourism-marketing (TCT) fund used for billboards and airport marketing, and tourism-product development funds used for site programming. "That's what we're using for the watch party games," Hammonds said.

Organizers listed activities planned for the events: a DCTT booth with giveaways and commemorative pins; food vendors and arts-and-crafts booths; DJs and live bands; a Kids’ Corner with a bounce house, rock-climbing wall and video gaming; and youth soccer activities coordinated with Georgia Storm. Coria Burns, chair of the Douglas County Bridal and Tourism Board, said a representative from Rome City Institute will offer training-camp information and youth clinics during the events.

Attendees should be prepared for a no-reentry policy and a clear-bag security rule, Burns said, and should bring lawn chairs or blankets for open seating. "We will have everything on-site that you need," Burns said, but organizers emphasized that early hotel reservations are advisable because rooms near transit and walking distance to pickup points are expected to sell out.

Hammonds urged use of public transit for visitors traveling to Atlanta-area stadiums: Connect Douglas will operate a bus route linking Thornton Road hotels (and a designated Walmart lot) to Cobb Link, which connects to MARTA to reach Atlanta venues. She said DCTT analyzes visitor data — origin, length of stay and purpose — to target marketing, including billboards placed at state lines and along interstates to draw out-of-area visitors.

The County and tourism partners said they view the watch parties as an opportunity to convert game-day visitors into longer stays: "People are coming in for this game, but we want them to come back for vacations," Burns said, noting the county’s parks, restaurants and attractions, including Sweetwater Creek State Park and several self-guided trails.

Organizers also named local partners involved in planning, including the Culture Arts Council of Douglasville, the Douglas County Chamber and Douglas County government, and listed radio partners that will promote the events (Star 94, Magic 107.5, 97.5 and La Raza). For tickets and additional details, organizers directed the public to watchcupdouglas.com and douglascountyga.com.

The district dialogue closed with a reiteration of the dates and an invitation to residents and visitors to attend.