After five long intense games against the New York Yankees, the Dodgers earned their eighth world series title. To celebrate this incredible win, Dodger players and fans paraded all across the streets of Downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 1. There were over 200,000 fans who attended this parade celebrating this historic win. Dodger players and their families joined the parade on open top double decker buses, traveling the streets of Los Angeles, passing by their roaring fans. The parade began at 11:15 at City Hall, passing by Walt Disney Concert Hall, and ending near the Los Angeles Central Library on south Flower Street.
The parade lasted about 45 minutes, but the celebration didn’t stop there. They continued celebrating at the Dodger Stadium with performances by a mariachi band and rapper Ice Cube. Following those performances, there were speeches from several Dodger players including MVP, Freddy Freeman, Shohei Ontani, and Kiké Hernández. This was a special moment for both fans and players alike as the parade celebrated not only this 2024 World Series Championship, but also made up for their 2020 World Series win that was cut short due to the pandemic. They also celebrated the 64th birthday of legendary Dodgers pitcher, Fernando Valenzuela, who passed away recently on Oct. 22, 2024. Many Dodger fans are disheartened that he isn’t able to be there to celebrate this momentous occasion, but instead of mourning his death, they are commemorating him and honoring his contributions to the team.
In an interview with Sarah Lucero, a junior on the MKHS dance team who attended the Dodger parade, she said, “It was an unforgettable experience. It felt like the whole city was united in joy. The best part was seeing my favorite players, the ones I grew up watching, celebrating alongside the entire city. I’ve always been a big Dodger supporter and being able to witness this victory and celebrate in this parade is truly historic. It’s such a great way to honor the players and fans who’ve been supporting them all season.”
Conner Cheung, a junior on the MKHS baseball team, who also attended the Dodger parade, said, “It was a very fun experience and I’m glad that I’ve been able to finally attend this parade. I’ve been waiting my whole life to be able to go and it was well worth the wait!”
This parade brought Los Angeles together, both players and fans, in a moment of joy to create a memorable experience for the city commemorating the team and their win.
