100K Expected Downtown For Dodgers World Series Parade

LOS ANGELES, CA — It's been nearly 40 years since Angelenos crowded into the streets for a World Series Parade, and the city is expected to turn out for the event en masse.

The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games, clinching the title with a 7-6 historic comeback victory in the Bronx on Wednesday.

Today, roughly 100,000 people are expected to converge on Downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the boys in blue and their historic, record-setting championship.

Congestion is expected to be heavy, affecting business in the area, and police will have a heavy presence.

“The expectations are a safe, family-friendly event to celebrate our Dodgers,” LAPD Cmdr. Steve Lurie told the Los Angeles Times. “I do expect large crowds, but we believe they will be completely peaceful, and we will be there together with the Fire Department and the Sheriff’s Department to help keep everybody safe.”

He told the newspaper police are expecting as many as 100,000 to the Downtown area.

The day will also include a "special ticketed celebration" at Dodger Stadium, prompting warnings about heavy congestion and calls for businesses to let employees work from home.

The team said that because of logistics, traffic and timing, fans won’t be able to attend both events. People dressed in blue Dodgers gear began gathering along downtown streets hours ahead of time.

The celebration at Dodger Stadium will begin shortly after noon. The parade will be carried on the stadium’s videoboards ahead of the team’s arrival.

The Parade Route

The parade, featuring team members riding atop double-decker buses, will begin at 11 a.m. at Gloria Molina Grand Park across from City Hall. Mayor Karen Bass will officially kick off the parade. The route will then continue for about 45 minutes through downtown from 1st Street to Grand Avenue to 5th Street before stopping at the intersection of 5th and Flower Streets.

Fans planning to attend the parade were being "emphatically encouraged" to take public transportation, due to "significant streets closures and limited public parking."

During a news conference Thursday morning, Bass and other officials outlined a coordinated effort to ensure the parade uplifts the "championship team, dedicated fans and its proud city."

"Last week, I stood with city leaders to say that L.A. is ready -- ready to host the World Series, ready to welcome visitors from near and far and, most importantly, ready to win," Bass said. "Now, we are ready to celebrate."

Bass noted that the Los Angeles police and fire departments prepared safety plans for the parade that will be implemented both in downtown and throughout the city -- with a more visible presence of officers, and paramedics on standby in case of emergencies.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will once again deploy 100 white-glove officers to manage car flow and establish specialized routes for ingress and egress from major venues.

"I again want to urge Angelenos to celebrate responsibly," Bass said. "Violence of any kind will not be tolerated."

Bass urged businesses downtown to institute a work-from-home policy on Friday to minimize traffic congestion.

The county Hall of Administration and the Hall of Records will both be closed Friday due to the celebration. All downtown Los Angeles Superior Court buildings will also be closed, and all matters on calendar for Friday will be rescheduled.

A vote center located in the Ahmanson Theater lobby in the Music Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

With the push for parade-goers to use public transit, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna noted the agency is "going to have enhanced policing on all of our buses and trains" Friday to ensure the safety of people traveling downtown.

According to the mayor's office, Los Angeles Unified School District schools will remain open Friday, and families are urged to be mindful of anticipated traffic congestion.

Once again, officials said the best way to avoid bumper to bumper traffic is to go Metro. According to Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, more than 30 bus routes will be impacted Friday in the downtown area.

"We are so happy for the city, for this team and all the members of Dodger nation," Wiggins said. "I also want to uplift that we are also the City of Angels. So let's remember to respect each other, respect property and please respect our operators, and respect each other and celebrate this well deserved and well earned accomplishment for the entire city."

Detour maps are available at metro.net and service updates will be available at the agency's X account.

Metro will operate its Dodger Express to take people to Dodger Stadium for the ticketed celebration that will follow the parade, beginning at 12:15 p.m. Information on Dodger Express can be found at www.metro.net/riding/dodger-stadium-express/.

According to the team, parking gates at the stadium will open at 8:30 a.m. for the Friday celebration, and the stadium entry gates will open at 9 a.m. Food and merchandise will be available for purchase. In-stadium entertainment will be offered prior to the team's arrival, including coverage of the parade on DodgerVision video boards.

"All Dodger Stadium guidelines and rules will apply to this event, including the reminder not to bring in signs, bags or any other items that aren't permitted under our policies," according to a statement from the team.

Dodger officials said a portion of the proceeds from the stadium event will be donated to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, "which is tackling the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos."

Both the parade and the stadium event will be televised live in their entirety on Spectrum SportsNet LA, and on local TV stations. Television coverage is expected to begin at 9:30 a.m.

The celebratory events will be held on the 64th anniversary of the birth of legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzeula, who died Oct. 22.

"It's going to be emotional," Dodger manager Dave Roberts said. "Fernando was a friend of mine. I know he's smiling right now and very proud of this organization. So he's going to be missed. I'm sure it's something that he would want to have been a part of, but it's going to be emotional for all of us."

The Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five years Wednesday night and eighth in their history, overcoming a five-run deficit to defeat the New York Yankees, 7-6, at Yankee Stadium and win the best-of-seven series four games to one.

City News Service, the Associated Press and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.