NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – New York City held a ticker-tape parade along Broadway’s “Canyon of Heroes” on Thursday to celebrate the New York Liberty’s first WNBA championship. The festivities are a celebration of the teams 67-62 win over the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals on Sunday.
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1:30 p.m. -- 20 photos capture fans, players and leaders at parade
After chasing a WNBA championship for years, the New York Liberty team members were taking in their big victor and the love of fans in Lower Manhattan. See photos from the ticker-tape parade and City Hall ceremony, where players, fans and a number of elected leaders, including New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, turned out. Hochul praised the team’s “energy, drive, ambition,” saying “they are an inspiration to all of us.” Adams said, “They personify the energy and the spirit of this city.”
12:30 p.m. -- WNBA stars hit the parade route, along with mascot
New York Liberty stars like Courtney Vandersloot and Breanna Stewart, as well as the team's mascot Ellie the Elephant, were seen along the parade route as confetti rained down from above.
11:05 a.m. -- Sen. Schumer and AG James spotted at parade
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York State Attorney General Letitia James were seen on a float on Battery Place. Schumer was dancing to the music as the float passed.
10:55 a.m. -- Parade underway with music, confetti, lots of spirit
Float after float is rolling up Broadway as revelers toss confetti and music fills the air. 1010 WINS reporter Glenn Schuck captured the scene along Battery Place, at the beginning of the parade route.
10:20 a.m. -- Parade begins in Lower Manhattan, fans amped
The parade kicked off around 10:15 a.m. and is moving up Broadway, where thousands of pumped Liberty fans have assembled along the route.
9:30 a.m. -- Day includes parade, ceremony and celebration
Here's the schedule of events for Thursday, including the ticker-tape parade at 10 a.m., City Hall ceremony around 12 p.m., and celebration at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at 7 p.m. Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are scheduled to take part, along with other local leaders.
9:15 a.m. -- Lower Manhattan prepares for the big parade
Floats are in place and New York Liberty decorations are up at City Hall and along the parade route for the ticker-tape parade. Photos from 1010 WINS reporters show the scene in Lower Manhattan, where bands and bagpipers were warming up and participants were preparing to walk up Broadway.
9 a.m. – Parade route will go up Broadway
The parade will start at Battery Park and move north along Broadway—a stretch known as the Canyon of Heroes”—and end at City Hall. It’s the same route dozens of other ticker-tape parades have taken over the years. Most recently, a parade was held in 2021 to honor “Hometown Heroes” for their response during the COVID-19 pandemic.
8:45 a.m. -- Street closures and mass transit changes planned
According to the Downtown Alliance, which helps put on the parade, the following street closures and mass transit changes are currently in effect.
Note: Pedestrians will be able to cross Broadway at the following locations: Exchange Alley, Cedar Street, Cortlandt Street, Vesey Street, Chambers Street and Reade Street.
Street closures:
• Church Street will remain open to vehicle traffic. There will be no eastbound or westbound vehicle traffic crossing Broadway.
• Broadway between Reade Street and Battery Place will be closed to southbound vehicle traffic.
• State Street between Battery Place and Bridge Street.
• Battery Place between West Thames Street and Broadway
• 3rd Place between Battery Place and Little West Street
• 2nd Place between Battery Place and Little West Street
• Little West Street between Morris Street and Battery Place
• West Street between Morris Street and Battery Place
• Morris Street between West Street and Washington Street
Subway and buses:
• Bus will be detoured during the parade above Worth Street and Broadway
• The subway stations surrounding City Hall will have exits closed. These include the R, W trains on the east side of Broadway and the 4, 5, 6 trains at Park Row Plaza. The R, W trains will be skipping the City Hall station entirely.
• The 4/5 Bowling Green Station directly north of the National Museum of the American Indian will only be accessible for ADA passengers.
• The MTA may also choose to bypass stations, depending on crowds. Check the MTA’s website for up-to-date service changes.
• The Downtown Connection bus service will also be suspended for the entire day. Normal service will resume on Friday.
8:30 a.m. – Forecast for the parade looks beautiful
Thursday is shaping up to be a great fall day for a parade, according to AccuWeather. While the day started with some rain, skies will clear by start time, and it will be mostly bright and sunny the rest of the day. It will be windy at times and cooler than it’s been in recent days, with a high of 68. So it would be a good idea to bring a fall jacket if you're attending the festivities.
