MILWAUKEE, WI — The Brewers are four wins away from the first World Series title in franchise history, and if they get there, Milwaukee won't have to look far for a parade playbook.
Neither the team nor the city had announced celebration plans as of Friday morning, hours before Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Rays at American Family Field. But the city's past parades, including one for a Brewers team that fell just short, offer strong clues about where fans could gather.
The last time the Brewers reached the World Series, Milwaukee threw a party anyway. On Oct. 21, 1982, the day after the Brewers lost Game 7 to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team rode in a parade down Wisconsin Avenue before a rally at County Stadium, where Robin Yount made a late entrance on a motorcycle.
Then-owner Bud Selig expected a small turnout. Instead, fans swarmed Downtown to honor the team, according to Milwaukee Magazine.
Milwaukee's last World Series champion, the 1957 Braves, also got a celebration along Wisconsin Avenue, followed by a rally at the Memorial Center, according to archival photos of the festivities.
The most recent model is the Bucks' 2021 NBA championship parade. That route started at East Wisconsin Avenue and North Prospect Avenue near the lakefront, headed west on Wisconsin Avenue and turned north on Water Street, according to the city's plan at the time.
The roughly 1.1-mile route ended at Knapp Street, with a celebration in the Deer District just north of Fiserv Forum.
With Wisconsin Avenue the common thread in all three celebrations, Downtown's main corridor would be a natural backbone for any Brewers route. A rally could land in the Deer District, which has handled championship-sized crowds before, or at American Family Field, which sits next to the site of old County Stadium.
When a parade could happen depends on how long the series runs. The earliest the Brewers could clinch is Game 4 on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in St. Petersburg, Florida. If the series goes the distance, Game 7 would be played on Halloween in Milwaukee.
In the meantime, fans who want to celebrate together have options. The Brewers are hosting watch parties at American Family Field for Games 3 and 4 while the team is on the road.
Game 1 begins at 7 p.m. Central on Fox, with Jacob Misiorowski facing Rays right-hander Nick Martinez.
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