McAllen is turning its convention center into a World Cup watch site, with crews spending Monday setting up a stage, live-music space and big screen ahead of the first free public gathering Thursday at 2 p.m.

The city will show all Team USA and Team Mexico games there, and soccer fans in the Rio Grande Valley can start arriving two hours before kickoff. The first watch party is for Mexico’s match against South Africa, and the city is opening the doors to anyone who wants to come.

For fans like Yeisi Peña, that makes the convention center more than a place to watch a match. Peña said he plans to attend as many watch parties as possible and hopes to catch Mexico and the U.S. play, saying the setup comes as close as possible to the feeling of being in the stadium. He also said he hopes Mexico can go deep in the tournament.

Ana Sofia Chapa, the McAllen Convention Center event coordinator, said the city is also bringing in food trucks and vendors to build a stadium-like atmosphere around the games. McAllen is trying to give local fans a shared place to gather as World Cup excitement builds in the Rio Grande Valley, especially among Mexico supporters who are expected to turn out in force.

The catch is simple: the event is free, but fans need to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. That means the city is providing the screen, the music and the crowd space, while visitors handle the part that makes a long watch party comfortable.

For now, the schedule is set through the first kickoff on Thursday afternoon, and the convention center is expected to become one of the Valley’s main places to follow Team USA and Team Mexico during the tournament.