Dodger fans line up before dawn for the victory parade around City Hall lit up in Dodger blue – Orange County Register

Crowds of baseball fans began forming before 6 a.m. in anticipation of the Los Angeles Dodgers World Series Victory Parade on Friday morning, November 1st.

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Before dawn, City Hall was lit in Dodger blue, as it has been since the team won the Baseball World Championship with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Yankees on Wednesday night in New York.

“I knew we should have left earlier,” one woman snorted to her husband as they walked up Temple Avenue toward Gloria Molina Grand Park. “Use your core,” she urged.

Fans bundled up to stay warm in the chilly morning, carrying folding chairs, bags of food and other items. LAPD officials said they expected more than 100,000 people to flock to the city for the events.

Around 7:30 a.m., Eduardo Gonzalez and Valerie Valencia set up lawn chairs in front of LA City Hall along with hundreds of Dodger fans who had already secured a spot along the parade route.

“It’s a great day to be a Dodger fan,” Gonzalez said.

The lifelong fans came from West Covina for the parade and left around 6 a.m. to head downtown.

They said they are excited to see the team and World Series trophy in person and expect to be starstruck.

“The pride of being a Dodger fan and being part of this great community and we're all here for the same reason and I think that's the most exciting thing,” Valencia said.

Johnny Leon, 22, of Pomona, wore a No. 34 jersey and shirt in honor of Dodgers pitcher great Fernando Valenzuela, who died Oct. 22. It's his birthday today; he would have been 64.

“So many family members love him and I have seen his highlights. I wish he could be here to see this.”

Jesus Anaya of La Verne came to the parade with his 18-year-old son Lorenzo. “I don’t want to say this is a one-time event because they will do it again,” Anaya said. “But it’s a memory, right? It’s about those special moments.”

Around 8:20 a.m., a vendor was selling blue vuvuzela horns near the first turn of the parade route at Spring and 1st streets. His customers provided an insightful soundtrack as fans prepared for the parade.

Nearby, Bellarose Vasquez, 14, of Boyle Heights, joined one of those vuvuzelas.

“It’s really fun,” Bellarose said. “I just like to blow on it and make noise.”

She stood next to her aunt, Sylvia Vasquez, who held a Dodgers flag and wore a T-shirt that read, “Job is done.”

“We had to be here,” Sylvia Vasquez said.

They were with the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers from the start and traveled to South Korea where the team opened the regular season. The family travels a lot with the team. Sylvia Vasquez has been to 16 stadiums and plans to travel to Japan at the start of the 2025 season.

“It’s just really cool to see people from many places come together,” Bellarose said. “We came here and someone said they were from San Diego and people from all over and people you don't know, they all just come and it's kind of a family, so it's really cool to see that.”

Other essential equipment around the parade route: T-shirts, air horns, blue Mardi Gras beads, gold plastic chains, hand flags. And literally thousands of Dodgers caps.

Thousands of fans will join Dodgers players, staff and families in the “Victory Day in LA” celebration on Friday. Crowds of city workers, transportation personnel, firefighters and police officers, as well as people who normally work downtown will also roll along the downtown route. Residents have been warned to stay away from the area unless they are attending the parade or have to work in the area.

Jahnett Lopez, who traveled from the Coachella Valley, had all the gear for such an event: Blue Dodgers hat and matching T-shirt. Denim jacket with “Dodgers” lettering made of pink sequins. Water. Cookies. And a Dodgers championship flag.

“We’re here because we’re big fans,” she said. “My father was a fan. He passed away. He was a big (Fernando) Venezuela fan. I'm a fan, and now my son is a big fan. It will run in the family for generations.”

She added: “It’s really part of our lives.”

At one point, fans outside LA City Hall sang “Happy Birthday” to Valenzuela, who would have turned 64 on Friday.

Jesse and Gaby Sevilla from the City of Orange posed for a photo before entering through the centerfield gate at Dodger Stadium. The couple said they were looking forward to watching the team and holding the World Series trophy.

“We’re so excited,” Jesse said. “Finally! Especially in Game 5, the emotions were a rollercoaster.”

Numerous streets and some public buildings will be closed. Due to “significant road closures and limited public parking,” fans were encouraged to use public transportation for the event.

The County Hall of Administration and Hall of Records will remain closed today. All Superior Court buildings in downtown Los Angeles will also be closed and all matters scheduled for Friday will be postponed.

The parade was scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in front of Los Angeles City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., and run a 45-minute route from 1st Street to Grand Avenue to 5th Street, ending at the intersection of 5th Street and the End of Flower Street. A ticketed event will follow at Dodger Stadium.

Here's everything you need to know about the parade.

Traffic for the stadium celebration was already busy at 7:30 a.m. With the gates scheduled to open at 8:30 a.m., the line of cars at the entrance sat at a standstill along Stadium Way. But by 8:30 a.m. cars were streaming into the parking lot

According to the team, the entrance gates to the stadium will open at 9 a.m. Food and goods are available for purchase. Entertainment will be provided at the stadium prior to the team's arrival, including coverage of the parade on DodgerVision video boards.

Both the parade and stadium event will be broadcast live in full on Spectrum SportsNet LA and local television stations. The television broadcasts are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m

The parade, which features team members riding on double-decker buses, begins at 11 a.m. at Gloria Molina Grand Park, across from City Hall. Mayor Karen Bass will speak to officially open the 45-minute procession, which will move south on Spring Street, then west on First Street, south on Grand Avenue, west on Fifth Street and in the area at Fifth Street and Flower Street ends.

During a news conference Thursday morning, Bass and other officials outlined a coordinated effort to ensure the parade reinforces “the championship team, dedicated fans and 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’re ready to celebrate.”

According to the mayor's office, Los Angeles Unified School District schools will remain open Friday and families are urged to be aware of expected traffic congestion.

“All Dodger Stadium policies and rules apply to this event, including a reminder not to bring signs, bags or other items not permitted under our policies,” the team said in a statement.

The Dodgers noted that “fans will not be able to attend both events (parade and stadium celebration) due to logistics, traffic and time constraints.”

The Dodgers won their second World Series championship in five years and the eighth in their history on Wednesday night by overcoming a five-run deficit to beat the New York Yankees 7-6 at Yankee Stadium and win the four-game best-of -Seven series won to one.

Dodgers officials said a portion of proceeds from the stadium event will be donated to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, “which addresses Los Angeles' most pressing issues and aims to advance education, health care, homelessness and social justice for all Angelenos.” to improve.” .”

Both the parade and stadium event will be broadcast live in full on Spectrum SportsNet LA and local television stations. The television broadcasts are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m

The ceremonial events are taking place on the 64th anniversary of the birth of legendary Dodger pitcher Fernando Valenzeula, who died on October 22nd.

“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 will be missed. I’m sure it’s something he would have loved to have been a part of, but it will be emotional for all of us.”

City News Service contributed to this report