It has been a big week for Montclair, from a World Cup champion’s stay downtown to a new brunch spot with an opening date. Here is what you need to know.
Team Spain Stayed at Montclair’s MC Hotel Ahead of Its World Cup Win
Team Spain made The MC Hotel on Bloomfield Avenue its home base ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, with the entire hotel reserved for players, coaches, staff and families from July 16 through July 19. The team bus arrived around 10:30 p.m. on July 15, a night after Spain’s 2-0 semifinal win over France in Arlington, Texas, and fans gathered outside the hotel to wave flags and cheer as the team arrived.
Four days later, Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in extra time to win its second World Cup title, with substitute Ferran Torres scoring the winner in the 106th minute at MetLife Stadium. Spain had won its first World Cup title in 2010.
The MC Hotel has become a repeat stop for national teams during the tournament, previously hosting Germany, England and Norway, and hosting squads during FIFA’s Club World Cup in 2025. Hotel owner Jeff Sica called the hotel’s selection “a tremendous honor to have been chosen by FIFA.” For more on the hotel’s role in the World Cup, see the Pod’s MC Hotel World Cup hosting profile.
Sen. Andy Kim Introduces the MediKids Act to Guarantee Healthcare for Kids
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., introduced the MediKids Act, legislation that would automatically enroll every child in the country in Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment benefit at birth, with continuous coverage through age 26.
Families could opt out if they prefer private coverage, and the federal government would cover 100% of the federal medical assistance percentage for everyone enrolled, meaning states would not pay for it. Kim’s office cites 4.7 million uninsured children nationally, with the uninsured rate among children rising from 5.1% in 2022 to 6% in 2024. Kim said the bill is intended as a “jumping-off point” for a larger Democratic push on healthcare, and it currently has three Democratic co-sponsors and no Republican support, making its path forward in a Republican-controlled Congress uncertain.
Montclair Theater Festival Returns to Brookdale Park
The second annual Montclair Theater Festival returns Saturday, July 25, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Brookdale Park. The free, day-long event is presented by Vanguard Theater Company in partnership with the Essex County Commissioner’s Office, and moves to Brookdale Park this year after debuting in 2025 at Glenfield Park.
This year’s mainstage features abridged professional productions of “Seussical the Musical,” at 6 p.m., and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” continuing the company’s Shakespeare in the Park tradition. Throughout the day, the festival also features pop-up performances from more than 20 local New Jersey theater companies, food trucks, artisan vendors and family activities. Last year’s inaugural festival drew more than 2,000 attendees. For the Pod’s full weekend roundup, see Things to Do in Montclair This Weekend.
NYC’s Pig & Butter Sets Opening Date for Its Montclair Location
Pig & Butter, the New York City all-day brunch spot relocating from the East Village, will open its Montclair location at 401 Orange Road with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, July 31, at 10 a.m. The restaurant is led by chef and owner Sherri Grimes, whom locals may remember from her time at Anderson’s 1949.
The Montclair location will feature two side-by-side concepts: one focused on brunch, dinner, cocktails and wine from Unionville Vineyards, and the other a coffeehouse and eatery. Pig & Butter served its last day in the East Village on Dec. 7, closing its longtime spot to make the move to New Jersey. The opening coincides with the restaurant’s fifth anniversary.
New Jersey Ranks Third in the Nation for Quality of Life, CNBC Finds
New Jersey ranked third nationally for quality of life in CNBC’s 2026 America’s Top States for Business study, earning an A+ grade in that category for the second consecutive year, even as the state slipped to 31st overall. The state also ranked second in education, with an A grade.
The strong marks come with a tradeoff familiar to Montclair residents: New Jersey ranked 39th in the nation for cost of living and 38th for cost of doing business, and finished dead last for business friendliness. CNBC’s quality of life scoring draws on factors including crime rates, air quality, healthcare access and the cost and availability of childcare.
Image credit: Pig & Butter
