If you haven't had your fill of July 4th weekend festivities, Bellingham is offering one more reason to keep celebrating: a World Cup watch party for the USA versus Belgium match, kicking off Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m. Trackside Beer Garden at Kulshan Brewing Company is the headliner, with two large screens, an extended beer garden, an additional pouring station, and prize wheel giveaways starting at 4 p.m.
The match carries extra stakes for American soccer fans. The USA national team is competing for a spot in the quarterfinals, and this game is being played in Seattle -- right in the backyard of Whatcom County. Bellingham sits at the center of the FIFA World Cup 2026 corridor between two host cities, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., which has turned the city into an unofficial watch party hub throughout the tournament. Bellingham's official fan zone has been one of nine official fan zones in Washington state, offering free match viewing throughout the tournament.
The Kulshan Brewing Trackside location at 2238 James Street has quickly become a go-to for large outdoor viewing events in Bellingham. The beer garden setup works particularly well for daytime and early-evening matches -- open air, plenty of room, and locally brewed beer on tap. For Monday's match, they're adding extra infrastructure to handle the anticipated crowd: prize wheel giveaways begin at 4 p.m., an hour before kickoff, to give fans time to settle in before the game starts.
Kulshan is far from the only option in Bellingham for the match, though. The Bellingham Experience shared a list of local bars and taphouses showing the game, giving fans across the city options depending on neighborhood and vibe. Locations confirmed to be showing the USA-Belgium match include The Archer Ale House, Beach Cat Brewing South Paw, JUXT Taphouse, Kulshan's K2 location on Lakeway Drive, Menace Brewing, Paws For A Beer, Stemma Brewing Co., Stemma Brewing West, Uisce Irish Pub, Bellingham Sportsplex, and Wander Brewing.
That's a remarkable concentration of watch party venues for a city of Bellingham's size, and it reflects how seriously local businesses have embraced the World Cup moment. Bellingham's unique position between two host cities -- Seattle hosting the USA-Belgium game and Vancouver hosting other matches throughout the tournament -- has given local bars and breweries an extended run of high-stakes viewing events throughout June and July.
If the USA advances past Belgium, the quarterfinal round would follow later in July. Soccer fans in Whatcom County would likely see another round of watch parties, possibly with even larger crowds as national interest builds. The Bellingham soccer community has grown substantially in recent years, anchored in part by the city's official World Cup fan zone designation, which helped draw new audiences to the sport this summer.
Monday's match starts at 5 p.m. If you're heading to Trackside, arriving by 4 p.m. is a good idea -- prize wheels, extra pouring, and the chance to find a good seat before the crowds build. Most participating bars are no-reservation, first-come setups, so plan accordingly. Whether you're a longtime soccer supporter or just caught up in the World Cup spirit after a Fourth of July weekend in Bellingham, Monday offers a good reason to stay out a little longer.
