What is FOB?

The Festival of the Babes (FOB) is a lesbian soccer festival held every Labor Day weekend. It was founded by a women's soccer team that was compelled to create their own tournament after attending the Gay Games in Vancouver, B.C., and the Seattle Sports Festival. Now entering its 18th year, FOB includes a two-day soccer tournament, Opening Ceremonies, and dance parties each night. Teams come to play from California, Washington, Oregon, Canada, and wherever lesbians play soccer.

The festival registers up to 24 teams that bring approximately 350 players and fans. FOB is a well known and loved community event that brings together players from all over the U.S. and Canada. Large numbers of women from the host city also attend both the tournament itself and the nightly events hosted by FOB. Although primarily lesbian players make up the teams, the tournament is open not only to lesbians, but to anyone who does not mind being mistaken for one.

To get a feel for how FOB is the same AND different from recreational soccer, ya may wanna read the FOB Rules.

At every tournament, we hand out awards for the most spirited team and the player most exemplifying Sarah Butterworth. Read more below:

The Buttercup Award

Each year, FOB awards the Buttercup Award to a Babe that exemplifies all the qualities of our Babe of Ceremonies: Sarah Butterworth (1968-2003), one of the most lovely and dedicated babes FOB has ever known. FOB 13 Portland was her last FOB, before she passed away from brain cancer. Excelling both on and off the field, this goddess of gaiety knew and loved more women at FOB than any other babe.

Here are the past winners of the Buttercup Award, and a photo of FOB 17's winner:

The FOB Team Spirit Award

This award goes out to the team that best displays that pure essence of FOBliness...and teaches us all the best way to capture that lightness of spirit, in the midst of our competitive soccer obsession!FOB 17's winners were by far the entertainers: they serenaded all the teams on Sunday by singing to all, song after song, moving from field to field. And on Sunday, at the lunch break, they performed their own version of the Flashdance moves of our beloved lesbian icon: Jennifer Beals. See for yourself in the photos below: