Dodgers fans with blankets, chairs, propane heaters and even portable toilets arrived before dawn Friday to secure their spot at the World Series championship parade in downtown Los Angeles.
The parade was scheduled to begin at City Hall at 11 a.m., but many fans wearing blue Dodger jackets, caps and other gear were already seated, some sleeping, along the route. At Gloria Molina Grand Park, fans waited in the blue-lit shadow of City Hall for the parade, which was denied in the wake of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
“In 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic, it would have been nice to have the parade then,” said one of the first fans in line. “Luckily, we’re able to experience this right now. So it’s very exciting. It’s crazy emotions.”
One fan, holding a “Happy Birthday, Fernando Valenzuela” sign, said he was most looking forward to meeting coach Dave Roberts.
“I loved that he dedicated this song to Fernando,” he said. “I’m late for this parade.”
Two fans from Sacramento didn’t want to miss the Dodgers’ victory parade. Lauren Coronado reports for Today in LA on Friday, November 1, 2024.
The World Series champion will take a 45-minute procession through downtown Los Angeles aboard an open-top, double-decker bus. The parade route starts at City Hall and runs south on Spring Street, west on First Street, south on Grand Avenue, west on Fifth Street, and ends in the area of Fifth Street and Flower Street.
The fan event at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m., but due to timing and Los Angeles’ notorious traffic congestion, fans will not be able to attend both the parade and the stadium event.
The team arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a Thursday morning flight, with pitcher Walker Buehler holding the World Series trophy and likely to be the center of attention at parades and stadium events. A large crowd of fans gathered outside Dodger Stadium on Thursday, and the team stopped by after arriving at LAX.
