The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the franchise’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history. And now it’s time to celebrate.
Cue the duck boats, and break out the Larry O’Brien Trophy, because the parade is ready to roll. City officials say they are expecting well over 1 million people to attend.
Boston police have called in all officers and will have uniformed and plainclothes officers out in force. They will also have assistance from other agencies, including Massachusetts State Police. Authorities encourage parade-goers to report anything suspicious to law enforcement.
The Celtics players and coaches returned home to Boston on Wednesday after a celebratory trip to Miami. Coach Joe Mazzulla even took the championship trophy on a tour of the North End and Newton.
What time is the Celtics parade?
The Celtics championship parade will get underway at 11 a.m. at TD Garden.
How to watch the Celtics parade live
Coverage begins on NBC10 Boston at 5 a.m., with on-air talent providing live look-ins and preview information as the city prepares for the parade. Beginning at 9:30 a.m., both NBC10 Boston and NBC Sports Boston will feature a simulcast of exclusive Banner Day in Boston coverage. Viewers will enjoy continued live coverage of parade prep; fan insight and interaction as they gather along the parade route; hours of insider analysis; and a special look into TD Garden for a pre-parade event — hosted by former Celtic and NBC Sports Boston analyst Brian Scalabrine — with members of the Celtics roster and organization offering their thoughts as they prepare to board the duck boats.
Once the parade is underway at 11 a.m., NBC Sports Boston and NBC10 Boston will continue the insider coverage, providing live look-ins and commentary from a variety of different viewpoints and angles along the parade route. Coverage will also include an exclusive perspective from a Duck Boat participating in the parade which will be carrying NBC Sports Boston on-air talent.
In addition to NBC Sports Boston and NBC10 Boston, the comprehensive coverage will be available across NBC Sports Boston and NBC 10 Boston digital media platforms, including NBCSportsBoston.com, and will be streamed live on the NBC10 Boston News streaming channel, which is available on Roku, Peacock, Pluto and other leading streaming and connected TV platforms. Exclusive photos, insider commentary, and real-time look-ins throughout the parade will also be available on social media at @NBCSBoston, @NBCSCeltics, and @NBC10Boston. A Spanish broadcast of the parade will air on Telemundo Boston from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Celtics parade route
The rolling rally is scheduled to start in front of TD Garden on Causeway Street and then follow Staniford Street to Cambridge Street to Tremont Street to Boylston Street, before ending near the Hynes Convention Center.
The entire parade is expected to be fairly quick – about 90 minutes – so hopefully Celtics fans won’t be out in the heat for too long.
Celtics championship parade weather
Speaking of the the temperature, this week’s heat wave delayed the festivities until Friday, and even though it will be cooler, city officials are still urging fans to be prepared with extra water and sunscreen.
We’re keeping a close eye on the First Alert forecast for the Celtics championship parade. So far, we’re expecting warm, humid and dry weather during the parade. Temperatures will be in the 70s, with high humidity. We’ll also see increasing clouds through the day, all ahead of some rain.
In fact, around 2 p.m., heads up! More storms and showers will likely develop as a cold front remains overhead and stalled. The storms and showers become widespread quickly by 3 p.m. Storms that develop could produce some brief heavy rain and lightning. Fortunately, the parade should be long over by that time!
Parade parking restrictions, street closures
There will be numerous street closures and parking bans on and around the parade route, starting at 9 a.m. The city will begin towing vehicles from restricted areas at midnight on Friday.
Detailed information on the road closures is available at boston.gov/Celtics.
How to get to the Celtics parade
City officials say people planning to attend the parade should take the MBTA if possible, and buy tickets early to avoid waiting in long lines.
The MBTA will have increased subway service and modified Commuter Rail schedules with additional train times before and after the parade. Riders are strongly encouraged to purchase roundtrip fares in advance.
Riders can find more information on MBTA service, parking, paying fares, and more during Friday’s parade at MBTA.com/Celtics.
The Bluebikes system will also be an option for navigating the city. More information on that is available here.
