Learning Is a Kick at SoccerFest

So what if you can’t bounce the darn soccer ball from your foot to your knee and off your head--you have nearly two weeks to learn. SoccerFest, World Cup USA’s international soccer theme park, opens Friday and runs through July 17. There will be soccer clinics where you can at least learn the fundamentals of the game, even if you don’t do it quite like Brazil’s Bebeto.

The festival will take up 500,000 square feet of L.A. Convention Center with 20 or so themed pavilions, an international food court, skill contests, interactive exhibits and entertainment. Some players and celebrities will be on hand.

The event runs daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; the Convention Center is at 1201 S. Figueroa St. Some tickets will be available at the gate for $12; children 12 and under and seniors, $8. Advance tickets through Ticketmaster, $10; children 12 and under and seniors, $6. Group/team rates available. (800) 386-4694 or Ticketmaster, (213) 480-3232.

Another World Cup-related event--although on a much smaller scale--is the South Lake Avenue Family Festival, featuring music and merchants on Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Ride the carousel at Lake Avenue and Del Mar Boulevard in Pasadena for $1. (818) 796-4441.