Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI) and The Soccer Rebellion are partnering to celebrate the “official” grand opening of Las Canchas de Futbol Communitarias (The Community Futsal Courts) on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM (250 Seward Ave. NW, just south of Bridge Street).
Las Canchas were constructed last fall on an underutilized surface parking lot on the Westside of Downtown. There are three futsal courts that are free to use and fully open to the public year-round.
Futsal, also know as street soccer, continues to grow in popularity across the United States. Las Canchas provide a free community space for anyone to play, learn and enjoy the game.
“We’re excited to activate Las Canchas this year and provide another public urban recreation amenity Downtown,” said Corey Mathein, DGRI's Project Manager. “We’re planning events, leagues and youth programming to make the sport more accessible to everyone and celebrate the Grand Rapids soccer community.”
DGRI is partnering with The Soccer Rebellion, a local organization focused on creating a more inclusive soccer culture in the U.S., to activate and program Las Canchas. Soccer Rebellion is co-hosting and leading events, including the popular Bridge Street League. For the grand opening, Soccer Rebellion is bringing teqball (soccer meets ping pong) and will be running pick-up games for all ages and abilities. The event will also include food trucks (Los Jalepenos, Manning’s Hometown BBQ, Dolce Mini Cakes) and a live DJ. Free Las Canchas t-shirts will be available for the first 150 attendees, as well.
“Our goal has always been to make the game more accessible to everyone and eliminate the barriers to playing that have existed for too long in the states,” said Michael Dublis, founder of The Soccer Rebellion. “At Las Canchas, anyone can come play for free, whether you’re a local street soccer legend or a kid that is just learning to love soccer.”
This summer will feature more events at Las Canchas including a Champions League Final watch party (6/10/23), a US Women's National Team World Cup watch party (7/21/23) and more leagues from the The Soccer Rebellion. For photos and more information, stay tuned to Las Canchas GR.