Tens of thousands of Dodger fans packed onto downtown sidewalks Friday — some crawling atop bus stop shelters or climbing light poles — to get a glimpse of the team and the World Series trophy in a long-awaited championship parade.
Many fans reported arriving in the downtown area as early as 4 a.m. to get prime locations along the parade route. By mid-morning, a throng of people had amassed throughout the downtown area and along the route.
With fans flocking to the parade — and a planned celebration at Dodger Stadium Friday afternoon — Metro trains and buses were packed as they headed toward downtown. Metro officials reported throughout the morning that parking lots had been filled at various stations stretching from North Hollywood to East Los Angeles.
The parade, featuring team members riding atop double-decker buses, officially began shortly after 11 a.m. as the team was carried from Dodger Stadium to the downtown area. The caravan stopped outside City Hall, where Mayor Karen Bass — wearing a blue Dodger jersey — tried to speak to the crowd from aboard one of the buses, although she was barely audible over the cheering crowd.
Some Dodger team members could be seen in a partying atmosphere aboard the buses, drinking beer and smoking cigars. The buses were showered with blue and white streamers as they pulled away from City Hall to being the procession.
The buses, all painted blue and proclaiming the Dodgers 2024 World Champions, were flanked by an army of police motorcycle officers.
The 45-minute procession was planned to move south on Spring Street, then west on First Street, south on Grand Avenue and west on Fifth Street, ending in the area of Fifth and Flower streets.
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 were implemented Friday 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 deployed 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 were both closed Friday due to the celebration. All downtown Los Angeles Superior Court buildings were also 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 remained open Friday, and families are urged to be mindful of anticipated traffic congestion.
Multiple Metro bus lines had their routes disrupted due to the celebration. Detour maps are available at metro.net and service updates will be available at the agency’s X account.
Metro was operating 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 opened at 8:30 a.m. for the celebration, and the stadium entry gates opened at 9 a.m. Food and merchandise were available for purchase. In-stadium entertainment was 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.
The Dodgers noted that “due to logistics, traffic and timing, fans will not be able to attend both events (the parade and the stadium celebration).”
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.
The celebratory events were being 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.