Villanova championship parade: Route, time, date and more details
For the second time this year, Philadelphia will host a championship parade for one of its sports teams.
For the second time in three years, Villanova University will have a parade in Philadelphia, after a dominating 79-62 victory over the University of Michigan in the NCAA championship game.
On Tuesday, classes were canceled at Villanova and the school was holding a "welcome celebration" for the team's return to campus. On Thursday, there will be another round of festivities, with a parade and rally in Philadelphia. Villanova is also canceling classes Thursday so students can attend the event. Here's what you need to know about heading to the parade.
Time, date, route
The parade will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at 20th and Market Streets and move east, ending at Dilworth Park. A rally featuring the team is expected to begin at 11:45 a.m., and the event should be over around 12:30 p.m., leaving fans plenty of time to head to Citizens Bank Park for the Phillies' home opener against the Marlins at 3 p.m.
Public transportation
SEPTA bus routes will be detoured through the area from 9 a.m. Thursday through about 3 p.m. Detours will be posted and specific route changes will be made available at SEPTA.org.
Stairs and elevators up to Dilworth Park from the concourse will be closed Thursday beginning at 9 a.m. and reopened as conditions allow.
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Parking
Road closures will begin at 9:30 a.m. Some will stay closed as late as 3 p.m., depending on proximity to the parade. The city says additional closures and lane restrictions may be necessary. Here's a rough breakdown:
2000 to 2900 blocks of Market Street
600 to 1900 blocks of Market Street
16th through 20th Streets from JFK Boulevard to Chestnut Street
1500 block of Market Street
15th Street from Race Street to Chestnut
South Penn Square from 15th Street to Broad Street
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Parking restrictions
The following streets will be posted as "Temporary No Parking" zones from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m.:
1400 block of JFK (south side)
1500 through 1700 blocks of JFK (both sides)
1500 to 2900 blocks of Market (both sides)
15th from Chestnut to Arch (both sides)
South Penn Square from 15th to Broad (south side)
Following Villanova's dramatic 2016 NCAA championship victory over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the city held a short parade on the same Market Street route, from 20th Street to Dilworth Park. That parade, which took place the Friday after the game, cost an estimated $22,000, with the university picking up the tab for police, EMS staffing and post-parade cleanup.
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An estimated 60,000 people turned out for the 2016 championship pride, a turnout that surprised head coach Jay Wright.
"When we saw this here at City Hall, we were shocked," Wright said following the 2016 parade. "I don't think I ever thought an entire city would get behind a college team like this. We're very humbled. We really thank the city of Philadelphia for this — this is amazing."
The city also hosted a parade following Villanova's 1985 NCAA championship win over Georgetown University, one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history.
The parade is the second victory parade Philadelphia has hosted in 2018, following the Eagles championship parade that took place the Thursday after the Super Bowl and went from South Philadelphia to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.