Florie Joins STL City SC to Open a New Mini Pitch in Ferguson

On May 3, 2025, Echoes of Africa and Floriescence joined St. Louis CITY SC to celebrate the opening of a brand new mini soccer pitch at the Ferguson Farmers Market. The ribbon cutting, attended by Mayor Ella Jones, community partners and families, became a morning where sport, culture and storytelling came together.

The pitch is part of a larger effort by St. Louis CITY SC and the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build 11 community fields across St. Louis ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Each one is designed as a hub for play and neighborhood connection, a place to spark relationships and creativity as much as goals.

Culture at the center

As co-founder and creative lead of Echoes of Africa, Florie brought cultural depth to the opening, blending performance and storytelling to ground the day in community identity. After the ribbon cutting she led a moving performance of the national anthem, and the team captured the day's stories on film and in photos.

Soccer is a universal language, but it becomes even more powerful when paired with culture and storytelling. This partnership is about making sure kids see themselves reflected not just on the field, but in the art, the music and the stories of their neighborhoods.

Florie

Families moved between produce stands, community tables and the new pitch, where kids took their first shots on goal. For many, it was more than a Saturday morning. It was a reminder of what is possible when institutions, artists and neighborhoods build together.