LA Dodgers' World Series parade lights up downtown as fans celebrate championship win

Thousands descended on downtown Los Angeles Friday to cheer on the Dodgers in the team's first World Series parade since 1988, a massive event in which the city shut down courthouses and deployed officers and paramedics throughout the area.

Fans started to line the streets of downtown along the parade route before dawn Friday, some driving for hours to make the trip to LA, coming from other parts of Southern California from the Inland Empire to Orange and Ventura counties. The last time the Dodgers held a World Series parade was 36 years ago, when LA beat the Oakland Athletics. 

The parade kicked off at 11 a.m., with the 45-minute procession starting at Gloria Molina Grand Park across from City Hall and traveling 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. Throughout the day, World Series MVP Freddie Freeman's name was often heard in the cheers of fans while many paid tribute to the late legendary Dodger Fernando Valenzuela, who died just days before World Series Game 1.

After defeating the Yankees in Wednesday night's game, the Dodgers landed at LAX Thursday morning following celebrations that started back in New York inside the locker room, where Freeman said he was looking forward to celebrating with fans Friday. "We're gonna celebrate this for a long time because this is hard to do in this game — win championships," he said. 

"We get to have a parade finally for LA. I can't wait."

The last time the Dodgers won the World Series was in 2020, when the team defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. With mass shutdowns due to the pandemic, fans watched World Series games from the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, and of course, a parade simply wasn't possible.

"It means everything," one fan said of the long awaited parade. "Coming out of 2020, we didn't get a parade. We didn't get to really celebrate because of everything else going on in the world. To take the championship the way that we did this year is huge."

The last time LA played against the Yankees in the World Series was in 1981, which also happened to be the award-winning rookie season of Valenzuela, the player known as "El Toro" who rose to fame during his 11-season run through the 1980s. He recently died at the age of 63, and days later, the opening game of the World Series began with a tribute ceremony in his honor.

Friday's parade was followed by the Dodger Stadium Championship Celebration, which kicked off with a performance by Ice Cube.

Fans start lining up before dawn

With the parade expected to draw thousands of people, crowds began forming long before its 11 a.m. start, some leaving other parts of Southern California several hours early to make it in time. In the dark of the early morning, with City Hall's glowing blue lights in the background, one fan said she grabbed her front-row seat behind the street barricade after leaving her Ventura County home at 2 a.m. "We went to bed at 8, got up at 12, left Oxnard by 2, and we're here," she said. 

Katie from Rialto made the drive from San Bernardino County to join the Dodger faithful, bringing her five children all decked out in Dodgers gear. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing for the kids, it's something they are always going to remember," she said.

City buildings closed, officers deployed as city prepares 

Crews cleaned city sidewalks and the Los Angeles police and fire departments launched special safety plans, deploying additional officers and paramedics throughout the downtown LA area.

"I again want to urge Angelenos to celebrate responsibly," Mayor Karen Bass said during a Thursday news conference. "Violence of any kind will not be tolerated."

Along the route, some workplaces transitioned to work-from-home schedules while the courts and other government buildings were closed Friday, including the county Hall of Administration and the Hall of Records.

Heavy traffic a major concern

With thousands making their way into downtown LA, and streets shut down, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation sent out 100 white-glove officers to manage the flow of cars and establish specialized routes intended to lessen traffic.

Fans decked out in full Dodger blue crowded onto LA Metro trains as they made their way downtown. City officials had made several pleas for those attending the parade to use public transit, in hopes of reducing the number of cars on the road.

"We are offering the best transportation option today for all the people who want to go see the parade in downtown LA, and also to the Dodger Stadium," said Metro spokesperson Jose Ubaldo.

Metro has four lines, A, B, D, and E that were taking passengers from all areas of the county to the Dodgers celebrations. Metro also operated its Dodger Stadium Express for the special ceremony in Elysian Park following the parade.