Matchday @ MARZ Brewery

Mars Brewery in Chicago's McKinley Park neighborhood is quickly becoming one of the most exciting venues for soccer culture on the South Side. The space has hosted a range of Chicago Fire FC supporter groups—including Sector Latino, Las Adulcetias, and La Murga—and continues to collaborate with local soccer and design collectives like Lumpen FC, Sidewalk FC, Crossbar Collective, and Stay True Supply.

I recently attended a few events, starting with one hosted by Sector Latino, where the Fire cruised to a victory over Toronto FC. The barrage of goals in that game gave me a great opportunity to get familiar with some of their chants—though there are at least 30 of them, so you might want this.

Aside from learning a few of the songs, I also had the chance to sit with Chicago’s own Mr. Trumpet Papi. We talked about the nuances of Chicago’s supporter groups, the role of brass bands, and the spirit that fuels a Barra Brava section. I had to insist he give me his real name—I couldn't call him “Papi” for 90 minutes. 

A few weeks later, I went to watch the Manchester Derby with my friends at the newly formed Crossbar Syndicate football collaborative. They had curated a vintage and resale space for the event, which turned out to be far more compelling than the match itself. Co-hosting the event was Lumpen FC, the soccer podcast offering from Chicago’s Lumpen Radio.

It was a great way to connect the dots between several different elements of soccer culture in the city. The passion from supporter groups, the creativity in design and media, and the presence of local beverage creators were all on full display. All of this leads me to the conclusion that Marz Brewery is truly a nexus of soccer culture on the South Side—and it stays true to its mission: What’s Marz is Yours!