East Providence has caught World Cup fever, and those wishing to participate in the craze are invited to join an all-day celebration of soccer at Pierce Field, culminating in a block party happening along a stretch of Warren Avenue to soak in the spirited national football competition between Portugal and Colombia.

“Soccer is ingrained into the East Providence community and plays an important role in bringing people together across generations and cultures,” said Mayor Bob DaSilva in an announcement of the “Soccer In The City” celebration. “As a city that takes great pride in its diversity and welcomeness, there is no better way to bring our community together as one than through the world’s game, soccer.”

The festivity-filled day begins at Pierce Field at 8 a.m. with a 4v4 soccer tournament composed of East Providence Youth Soccer Association teams. Each team will get to play at least two games, each running 25 minutes.

Following the tournament, the city has partnered with Santander Bank (the official bank of the New England Revolution) to host a soccer clinic, run by Revolution Academy coaches, with a number of soccer drills and games for local youth. That will take place from 2 to 3 p.m.

Once the clinic is finished, attendees will be treated to a one-of-a-kind, 11 on 11 soccer match between two teams — one assembled and managed by Mayor DaSilva, the other featuring State Treasurer James Diossa.

“I will be managing and coaching from the sideline,” DaSilva clarified in a recent interview about the Saturday celebration. “I wish I could hang with Treasurer Diossa. He was a very accomplished soccer player in high school and he still plays. I would not want to embarrass myself or the community of East Providence by actually trying to get on the pitch.”

Warren Avenue closure

For the finale of the festivities, the city is closing down a portion of Warren Avenue — from Lyon Avenue to Berkeley Street — to allow for a pedestrian-only zone for people to gather and watch the World Cup match between Portugal and Colombia.

The street closures will begin at 5 p.m. and go until 11 p.m. A detour will be placed around the area, and nearby side streets (S Carpenter, Arlington, Berkeley, Bentley, and S Sharon Streets) will be open to local traffic only, but without access to Warren Avenue. Police vehicles or large DPW trucks will be posted at all necessary intersections of the pedestrian area to prevent anyone from accidentally maneuvering onto the closed portion.

Viewing areas for the game will be set up on large televisions outside of Loja Portugal and Cafe Alma. A series of six food trucks will be posted up around the area, and local restaurants will be allowed to serve food outside during the event. A beer and wine garden will also be available.

“We kind of wanted to do something like they do in other communities where they close the road and make the whole area festive,” DaSilva said of the genesis of the block party idea. “Get all the local businesses involved. We're also going to have the local social clubs like the local Holy Ghost clubs in the community, they're also going to be participating with having little stands. They're going to have their own food sales going on too.”

DaSilva said that the area of the block party is home to such a high concentration of Portuguese businesses, and was hopeful for many people to experience their offerings.

“In that little vicinity where we're closing off, you've got multiple businesses that cater to Luso-American community. You've got Loja Portugal, which is a one-of-a-kind store that sells all Portuguese merchandise from the mainland. You've got Campinos restaurant right next door. You've got Ocean Fish, which is a Portuguese fish market,” he said. “You've got Ponto Um, which is a Brazilian variety store market. And then you've got Cafe Alma. So, it's going to be nice. And then Ebisu, which is not Portuguese, however, they are going to be participating because of their close proximity.”

DaSilva said the weekend event was representative of what he hoped Warren Avenue could become in the long term.

“What I would love to see Warren Avenue become, and I’ve said this before, is the East Providence version of Federal Hill,” he said. “I think we are on the pathway to becoming exactly that on Warren Avenue. We’re putting money into beautifying a lot of the storefronts, and we’re going to continue working towards making this the one-stop destination for all things restaurants and culture.”