About 17,000 people showed up to watch World Cup soccer at Boxcar Park over four events in June, packing waterfront restaurants before and after matches and logging 5,000 rides on Everett Transit's free shuttle service.

The turnout exceeded city expectations, Mayor Cassie Franklin said in a statement reported by HeraldNet on June 26.

"These events exceeded our expectations in every way," Franklin said. "We saw thousands of people from different backgrounds, cultures and communities come together to celebrate the world's game at our beautiful Everett waterfront."

Attendance climbed steadily across the four dates: roughly 1,500 on Thursday, June 11 (a workday coinciding with the World Cup opener); 4,500 on Friday, June 12, when the U.S. men's national team played its first match; 5,200 on Thursday, June 18; and 5,700 on Friday, June 19. City spokesperson Simone Tarver said the estimated per-event capacity was about 6,000.

The foot traffic appeared to benefit the seventeen restaurants along Waterfront Place. Catherine Soper, the Port of Everett's chief of business development and tourism, said businesses along the waterfront were packed before and after matches, and that first-time visitors told organizers they hoped to return.

Everett Transit ran its shuttle every 15 minutes between Everett Station and the fan zones, providing approximately 5,000 total rides. Tulalip Tribes sponsored a separate free shuttle from Tulalip Resort Casino.

No major public safety or emergency medical incidents occurred at any of the four events, Tarver confirmed.

The city does not plan additional fan zones for the remainder of the World Cup, which runs through Sunday, July 19. Local businesses across Everett will continue hosting their own watch parties through the tournament's end.

The fan zone events were free, all-ages, and organized as a partnership among the City of Everett, Port of Everett, and Snohomish County Sports Commission.

The broader "Pathway to the Pitch" programming included a monthlong series of events at Waterfront Place throughout June aimed at drawing visitors to waterfront businesses beyond the watch party dates.