The annual Unity Soccer Festival returned to Robert Crown Community Center on Saturday, July 11, with teams competing in 4v4 play on the turf fields and raising money for youth soccer scholarships in Evanston.

The tournament ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center, located at 1801 Main St. Teams of four to seven players paid $50 to enter, according to the festival's website. All proceeds go toward need-based soccer scholarships for Evanston kids who want to play but face financial barriers.

Elliott Hurtig, the festival's founder and event chair, built the tradition around a motto: "The Goals are not the Goal." In a June 2022 interview with the Evanston RoundTable, when the festival first moved to Robert Crown, Hurtig explained the phrase. "The goal of the day is not to win the game, but rather to connect with people while playing the game we all love so much," he said.

The festival has grown steadily since its early years at Kamen Park. After relocating to Robert Crown in 2022 for its eighth edition, the event doubled in size. By 2023, more than 40 teams participated, up from 20 the year before, according to the Evanston RoundTable. Organizers have not released participation figures for the 2026 edition.

The Daily Northwestern confirmed the July 11 event took place, reporting that soccer balls skidded across the turf and into mini goals as community members celebrated connections built through the sport. Reporter Taariq Ahmed covered the festival for the paper.

The July 11 tournament landed during a summer when soccer has drawn unusual attention in Evanston. On Wednesday, July 1, hundreds of residents packed Robert Crown to watch the U.S. national team play Bosnia in a FIFA World Cup match, according to Evanston Now. The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has kept the sport visible across the city.

The nonprofit festival's scholarship fund supports access to organized soccer in Evanston. Registration details for future editions are available at evanstonsoccerfestival.com.