Philadelphia's FIFA Fan Fest kicks off today in Lemon Hill. Some Fairmount residents have mixed emotions.

Thousands of fans are expected to pack Lemon Hill over the next 39 days for the FIFA Fan Festival in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, but some residents in the neighborhood have mixed emotions about how the free event could impact their lives.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Philly's fan festival get underway, some residents in Fairmount are concerned about the traffic and parking in their neighborhood despite license-plate-enforced parking permits.

"I'm stoked, but a little bit nervous for the parking stuff," Jon Cheifet, who lives in Fairmount, said.

Residents in Fairmount told CBS News Philadelphia that while the FIFA Fan Fest may be 39 days, they've been dealing with road closures and parking issues since May in preparation for the event.

"Parking has been a problem here for quite some time," resident Pawel Hitczenko said. 

Others are excited to welcome the world into their backyard.

"I'm so excited to see people from all over the world," Aldo Chaparro said. "I'm coming to see the first game, the inauguration and will see what it's all about."

Zee Karl lives in Havertown in Delaware County. She used SEPTA to commute to the park. She's confident fans will be able to get to where they're going.

"I think it's going to be smooth because Philly has had the info online about how to get here, the Philly PHLASH," Karl said.

People look forward to enjoying Philadelphia on the world stage with some challenges along the way.

"I think the first week will be a little rough, feeling out how many people are coming, where to go," Cheifet said, "but as the tournament goes on people will be cool with the stuff that's going on there."

The city is urging people not to drive to the event but to take SEPTA and walk to Lemon Hill.