Headed to the World Cup in Houston or Arlington? Our colleagues in those cities rounded up what you need to know.

The big picture: Houston is hosting seven World Cup matches starting Sunday with Germany vs. Curaçao. The Netherlands and Japan play Dallas Stadium's first match on Sunday.

Transportation

State of play: FIFA is pushing ticket-holders to rely on Houston Metro's Red Line to get to the stadium for the matches.

• Some fans staying close to the Red Line can walk to the train. Others staying regionally should use park-and-ride and other bus services to get downtown and hop on the rail, Metro says.

Fan Festivals

Houston's cost-free Fan Festival will be open for 34 days starting today, serving as the primary gathering place for fans outside the matches.

• The Fan Festival spans 275,000 square feet. Including back-of-house operations, the footprint grows to 352,000 square feet.

What to expect: A beer garden and dozens of local food vendors will be on site.

• An air-conditioned warehouse called Houston Hall will feature exhibits from Space Center Houston and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
• A 144-foot-wide "Magic Sky" canopy is designed to shade much of the main viewing area and performance stage, where 60 local artists are expected to perform, including big Houston names like Trae tha Truth, Coffey Anderson and Ashley Támar Davis.

Other amenities include water bottle filling stations, misting stations, a prayer room, a nursing area and a medical station.

• Premium hospitality options will include Club 104 and rentable cabanas, with tickets now on sale.

Zoom out: In Dallas the fan festival is free with a ticket. The concerts will require separate tickets, which start at $26.

State of music: A Latin Legacy tour will kick off the concert series on June 28, featuring MC Magic, Baby Bash and Lil Rob.

• Red dirt country band Turnpike Troubadours will take over the festival on July 4.

Let's say you've got a rooting interest in the World Cup but tune into soccer only every four years.

• We've got you covered with this refresher on the game, plus some rules new to this World Cup

The group stage

There are 12 groups of four teams, decided by the World Cup draw in December. Each team plays the other three teams in their group.

• A win gets you 3 points, a tie 1 point and a loss no points.
• The top two teams from each group advance to the first single-elimination knockout round. Additionally, the top eight teams from among the third-place teams in each group advance.

Yellow cards and red cards

Yellow cards are issued for repeatedly breaking the rules, delaying the restart of play, arguing with a referee, tactical fouls that stop a promising attack and reckless challenges, among other things.

• A second yellow card results in a red card, at which point the player is ejected from the game. That player's team is not allowed a substitute.

Penalty kicks

If a defending player commits a foul — such as trip, push or handball — inside their penalty box, the attacking team is awarded a penalty kick, which is marked 12 yards from the goal line.

• One player takes the penalty kick and all other players must stand outside the penalty box until the ball is struck. The goalkeeper must stay on the goal line until the ball is kicked.

Knockout rounds and more

😔 James Beard Award-winning chef Iliana de la Vega and her husband Ernesto Torrealba announced yesterday that their restaurant El Naranjo will close on July 18. The restaurant has struggled financially for years. (KVUE)

🚧 Elon Musk says he plans to expand SpaceX's Bastrop campus to an 11 million-square-foot "Gigasat" along Farm to Market Road 1209. (Austin Business Journal)

💸 Gov. Greg Abbott directed state energy officials yesterday to tighten data center regulations aimed at protecting Texans from higher electricity bills. (Axios)

⚽️ Austin FC winger Jayden Nelson was a late addition this week to Canada's World Cup roster. He is the first active Austin FC player to be named to a World Cup team. (The Athletic)

Who's ready for some weekend fun?

Friday

📖 Check out the Austin Public Library's pop-up library van during the pre-Juneteenth Education and Wellness Fair, featuring live music, free haircuts, free immunizations and kids activities at Blackland Neighborhood Center. Free, 10am-1pm.

🎻 See "The Lord of the Rings" brought to life, with a live symphonic performance that sets the score to the film at Bass Concert Hall. Tickets start at $41. 7:30pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday

🍔 Sample burgers at Austin Monthly's annual Burger Bash at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. 12:30-4pm.

🏍️ Look at classic cars and motorcycles during the Paradise Road Show at Austin Motel. $38.95, 11am-6pm.

Sunday

🥕 Stop by Meanwhile Brewing's pop-up farmers market, featuring local vendors. Free, 10am.

🎺 Enjoy the final show of Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park at the Hartman Concert Lawn at the Long Center, featuring a brass ensemble. Free, 7:30pm.

👋 Nicole here, with a perfect summer lunch.

What I did: I'll admit I got a little too excited at Whole Foods and grabbed heirloom tomatoes, along with the world's most expensive cherries — Rainier cherries.

• I mashed avocado with lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot honey and spread it on toast. Topped it with tomatoes and voilà.

The bottom line: Pair that with rainier cherries and a mini coke and you've got yourself a solid summertime snack.

📬 Tell us: What are your favorite go-to, no-cook summer dishes? Just reply to this email.