Mayor Andre Dickens || Atlanta Spotlight

By Staff Writer Atlanta Trend

• Aug 02, 2026

Showcase Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens' citywide initiative to ensure the world's biggest events happen with Atlanta and not to Atlanta, closed out the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament month by delivering on the commitment it was created around: putting the city's small businesses, neighborhoods and culture at the center of a global moment.

Since January, Showcase Atlanta has onboarded more than 1,900 small businesses into its Vendor Directory, connected more than 500 businesses to vending and contracting opportunities, invested $1,222,500 in grants and business resources, and helped neighborhoods across the city host their own celebrations, whether residents had a match ticket or not.

The month closed with the Celebration of Soccer & Sound on July 19 in Piedmont Park, a free public event sponsored by AFCRA, presented by Delta Air Lines and delivered by UPS, produced with ONE Musicfest and headlined by Ludacris, with a championship match watch party across three viewing areas. Thousands of attendees gathered throughout the day to celebrate and support the nearly seventy local small businesses on site. Vendors reported steady sales throughout the day. 

Showcase Atlanta's infrastructure became a shared resource for institutions across the city. Showcase-supported businesses, including Boost certificate graduate Parlay Savory Saloon, moved from the Showcase vendor directory to vending at the fan festival at Centennial Olympic Park. Showcase partnered with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on its business expo, and with Atlanta Beltline, Inc. on Beltline Fest. Showcase Atlanta also sponsored Old Fourth Ward USA Kickoff Fest and Atlanta Cultural Exchange, where Showcase-supported small businesses vended, such as Eleven45 Candles, SOKA, Yacht Club Access and OOOG. Partner programming with Square, Google and Verizon connected business owners to tools, training and customers throughout the tournament.

"We are so grateful to have been part of the action while FIFA was in Atlanta. We went through the Showcase program, got added to the vendor directory, became Large Scale Event Certified and implemented all of the strategies and tools gained while vending at the FIFA Fan Festival as part of the Taste of Atlanta activation,” said PARLAY Savory Saloon Executive Officer Latrice Rochelle.

Showcase Atlanta's promise extended to every resident. Five local artists created a series of six commemorative pins given away at events throughout the tournament, each with a back card spotlighting Atlanta small businesses and attractions, including the 404 pin by George F. Baker III, honoring legacy businesses, and the Lemon Pepper Stepper by Sanithna, celebrating the city's wing culture. Capture the Flag ATL, a citywide scavenger hunt with 9 flag locations, was designed to send residents and visitors into neighborhoods across the city to discover small businesses beyond the downtown core. 17 Miles United connected hubs across town in partnership with 8 local run clubs, a moving portrait of Atlanta as one connected city on June 13 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium to Ponce City Market. And a community ticket program gave seniors, youth and neighborhood residents the chance to attend the historic matches in Atlanta.