On Thursday, for the first time in 53 years, the city of New York will celebrate its championship-winning Knicks and shower them in ticker tape as they parade down the “Canyon of Heroes.”
For New Yorkers, or anyone braving the trip into the city, it’s a chance to show appreciation to the newest throngs of heroes who made the Big Apple a title town once again.
Whether it’s Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, star center Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jose Alvarado and more, the newest throngs of heroes will be anointed.
Here’s all the information you need to know, whether you’re planning to attend in person or watch from home.
When does it start?
The Parade will begin at 10 a.m. ET, with city officials strongly urging attendees to arrive at least two hours early to not only get through the extensive security screening process but also to secure a viewing spot.
What’s the route?
The Parade route will follow the traditional route of other New York champions. The Knicks will start near Battery Park and Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan and travel North along Broadway, ending at City Hall. At the City Hall ceremony set for 2 p.m., Mayor Zohran Mamdani will present keys to the city to the members of the Knicks.
This is a ticketed event, though Mamdani announced that his office held a public ticket lottery to allow 600 fans to attend the ceremony in person.
There will be several access points to the parade route as provided by the NYC Mayor’s website:
Washington Street & Morris Street / Battery Place
Trinity Place and Morris Street
Trinity Place and Exchange Aly
Trinity Place and Rector Street
Trinity Place and Thames Street
Trinity Place and Cedar Street
Church Street and Liberty Street
Church Street and Cortlandt Street
Church Street and Dey Street
Church Street and Fulton Street
Church Street and Barclay Street
Church Street and Park Place
Church Street and Murray Street
Church Street and Warren Street
Church Street and Thomas Street
New Street and Exchange Place
New Street and Wall Street
Nassau Street and Pine Street
Nassau Street and Cedar Street
Nassau Street and Liberty Street
Nassau Street and Maiden Lane
Nassau Street and John Street
Nassau Street and Ann Street
If I’m planning on going, what do I need to know?
Security screenings While viewing along the parade route is free for all — the city is expecting a million attendees — the ceremony at City Hall will be a ticketed event.
Beginning at 6 a.m., each attendee will be screened through security. That includes the free viewers along the route and the ticket holders for the City Hall event. Expected attendees should note that no bags are allowed.
Additionally, don’t plan to bring any of the items below, as they are prohibited via the NYC Mayor’s guidelines.
Glass or metal water bottles. Plastic water bottles are allowed.
Bats/batons
Bicycles or scooters
Chairs
Coolers
Drones
Backpacks
Pets
Strollers
Umbrellas
Weapons
Transportation
There will be several parking and road closures for the parade. Starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, parking will not be allowed south of Canal Street, while beginning at 7 a.m. on Thursday, south of Canal Street will be shut down to vehicular traffic from the Hudson River to the East River, according to the Mayor’s website release.
If you do want to get to the parade, there will be a few options.
The Staten Island Ferry will run every 15 minutes between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. so that Staten Islanders can celebrate their team. However, starting at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, several Subway stations will be closed and will not reopen until after the ceremony has concluded.
Wall Street (4, 5) and City Hall (R, W) will be closed, while Bowling Green (4, 5), Fulton (4, 5, J, Z, 2, 3), Brooklyn Bridge (4, 5, 6), Chambers St (J, Z), and Park Place (2, 3) will be open.
How can I watch on TV or follow along online?
There will be several ways to watch or stream the parade. On local TV, CBS 2, NBC 4, ABC 7, My9, MSG Network and SNY (regional) will air the event. Streaming options include Fubo and free streams available for U.S. viewers on New York’s local CBS, NBC, ABC 7 and Fox stations.
The Athletic will also have a live blog and feature parade coverage throughout the day.
— Steven Louis Goldstein contributed to this report.
