A brilliant blue sea of cheering Dodgers fans gathered in downtown Los Angeles Friday to celebrate a season for the ages with a long-awaited victory parade featuring the most coveted prize in baseball glistening in the Southern California sun.
The parade and a Dodger Stadium event in honor of the Dodgers' eighth World Series title mark a closing chapter to a storybook season full of high expectations after the addition of two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani to already potent roster. With a blend of talent and tenacity, the Dodgers survived a few postseason scares before capitalizing on a baffling series of miscues by New York Wednesday in Game 5 to wrap up the championship.
The scene in downtown Los Angeles and at Dodger Stadium was much different than the last time the Dodgers ascended to the pinnacle of Major League Baseball during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Without a parade to celebrate that accomplishment, it felt like something was missing for players and fans.
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"COVID was in 2020, so we wish we had a parade then," said one of the first fans in line before dawn Friday. "Luckily, we get to experience this one now. So, it's very exciting. Emotions are going crazy."
Adding to an emotional day, the parade is on what would have been the 64th birthday of legendary Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who died Oct. 22.
"It's going to be emotional," Dodger managers 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."
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One fan at Gloria Molina Grand Park along the parade route was holding a "Happy birthday, Fernando Valenzuela" sign. He said he's most excited to see Roberts.
"I love that he dedicated it to Fernando," he said. "We're overdue for this parade."
Fernando was a friend of mine. I know he's smiling right now and very proud of this organization.
-Manager Dave Roberts
The parade with team members riding on open-top double-decker buses started around 11 a.m. at Los Angeles City Hall. The players boarded buses at Dodger Stadium that traveled south into downtown LA.
As the buses turned onto the parade route, a roar swelled in the canyon of fans that lined both sides of the street. Some waved giant blue LA flags as team members passed and showed off the World Series trophy.
The parade was followed by a ticketed fan event at Dodger Stadium. A portion of the proceeds from the ticketed stadium event will be donated to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation.
The team arrived on a flight at LAX Thursday morning with pitcher Walker Buehler carrying the World Series trophy, which will likely be in the spotlight at the parade and stadium event. A crowd of fans gathered Thursday outside Dodger Stadium, where the team stopped after landing at LAX.
The LAPD encouraged fans to arrive early along the route to find a viewing spot. Barricades will be place along the route to mark boundaries and maintain a safe distance between fans and the team buses.
The parade comes on the heels of unruly victory celebrations Wednesday and early Thursday in downtown LA and Echo Park.
“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. Now, we are ready to celebrate,” said Mayor Bass. “As I said last night, violence and dangerous behavior at the expense of our communities and businesses will not be tolerated. I urge you to continue to celebrate responsibly and safely if you are planning to attend the Dodgers’ celebration opportunities tomorrow. Congratulations again to the Dodgers – we cannot wait to welcome you back and celebrate with you tomorrow!”
Getting to the Dodgers parade
City officials encouraged fans to use Metro to get to a location along the parade route in downtown LA.
The parade route will travel from City Hall south on Spring Street, west on First Street, south on Grand Avenue and west on Fifth Street, ending in the area of Fifth and Flower streets.
To get there using Metro:
- B Line from North Hollywood and D Line from Wilshire/Western to one of three stations: Civic Center /Grand Park, Pershing Square, and 7th St/Metro Center.
- From the San Gabriel Valley or the South Bay, take the A Line to Second/Broadway, Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill, or Seventh St/Metro Center Stations.
- From Santa Monica or East LA, take the E Line to Second/Broadway, Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill, or Seventh St/Metro Center Stations.
The A, B, and D Lines can be picked up from Union Station, which connects to Metrolink, Amtrak, and other bus services.
🏆 Go Metro to the Dodgers Parade Friday!
— Metro Los Angeles (@metrolosangeles) October 31, 2024
🚉 A, B, D & E Lines are near parade
📱Plan trip with Google/Apple maps, https://t.co/uQLolAJyCL
🎟️ Regular fare $1.75 or $3.50 RT
🚍 Dodger Stadium Express running from Union Station for event at stadium. Service begins 9am pic.twitter.com/6cbFXz25zT
Getting to Dodger Stadium
The event at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to start at 12:15 p.m.
Parking gates at the stadium will open at 8:30 a.m. 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 scoreboards.
The team noted that fans won't be able to attend both the parade and stadium events due to timing.
Metro will operate its Dodger Express to get to Dodger Stadium.
