RED BANK ADDS WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY FOR BIG USA MATCH

Fans at a World Cup watch party on Broadwalk June 11. (Photo by Nicolette Brady. Click to enlarge.)

By BRIAN DONOHUE

Red Bank’s series of World Cup soccer watch parties is going into extra time.

Fans will be able to watch the United States take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the knockout round Wednesday on a big outdoor screen on Broadwalk, the seasonal outdoor pedestrian plaza on Broad Street.

Game time is 8 p.m., thankfully, as temperatures are expected to hit triple digits in the afternoon.

A drone shot of the World Cup watch party at Count Basie Park on June 18, 2026 (Photo submitted by Paul Gregory)

The borough originally planned a series of three watch parties – one on Broadwalk and two at Count Basie Park – supported with a $50,000 state grant.

Borough Manager Jim Gant said those previous, first-round watch parties drew about 2,700 people. He said the borough “pivoted” to add the additional event, with the use of sponsorship money. Festivities begin at 4:30 pm (see flyer below)

At the meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council last week, officials said the borough and Red Bank Rivercenter, which manages Broadwalk, had secured a larger screen than the one used for the first Broadwalk watch party for a Mexico vs. South Korea match June 11. (see photo above)

Mayor Billy Portman led last week’s meeting of the Mayor and Borough Council dressed in a USMNT Christian Pulisic jersey, drawing yet another sharp and stunning sartorial contrast to his always buttoned-down and dapper predecessor, former Mayor Pasquale Menna. *(Youtube screen grab by housebound editor Brian Donohue)*

“We’re working off some of the sponsorship money that we received and finding ways to activate even more through this process,” Gant said. “The whole idea is to bring commerce and people into the Borough of Red Bank. And I think it’s truly working, because this town is humming right now. It’s on the map. We are competing with our summer counterparts, you know the beaches and everybody else.”

A week earlier, redbankgreen asked who was paying for the watch parties outside the municipal grant. We received this email in response from Johanna Lopez, Administrative Confidential Aide for the Borough of Red Bank:

“The grant is funded by Choose NJ while there is a Match 1 for 1 the remaining $50,000 will be supported through a combination of municipal in-kind contributions, including staff time, equipment, permitting coordination, and operational support. Private sponsorships, coordinated through RiverCenter and regional partners, with a focus on local and regional businesses. Partner contributions, including programming, promotional support, and event activation from FC Monmouth and other collaborators. Community partnerships, which will provide additional in-kind resources and programmatic support. This diversified approach demonstrates strong financial planning and reduces reliance on a single funding source. It also reflects the broad base of support for this initiative, as evidenced by the extensive coalition of partners and endorsing organizations that were included in the grant application.”

redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.

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