Update Thursday, June 15, 8:33 a.m.
We're sharing live updates from the parade! Follow along here.
The Denver Nuggets will parade through downtown and hold a rally at Civic Center Park to celebrate the team's first ever NBA championship.
The parade will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. at Union Station. From there, the team bus will continue down 17th Street for about a mile, before turning onto Broadway. The parade will end at Civic Center Park about two hours after starting.
At the park, the City and County of Denver will present a special program to honor the champs. In addition to players, coach and management, outgoing Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and other city officials will be present for the rally.
Pre-rally events will start at Civic Center Park at 9 a.m., with GRiZ, Big Gigantic, and Paws The Music (the Ball Arena DJ) performing live. A live stream of the parade will be played at the park, as well as Nuggets season highlights.
When should I arrive?
Denver officials say "hundreds of thousands" of Nuggets fans will participate in the rally and parade Thursday. Fans, business owners, and downtown workers should plan accordingly.
To prepare for the rally, Civic Center Park will be closed to the public from 11 p.m. the night before, until 5 a.m. on June 15. It is expected fans will start lining up for the rally sometime during those hours. Streets on the parade route will close no later than 8:45 a.m., ahead of the 10 a.m. parade start.
RTD will run service to the parade and Civic Center Park, but will close the station there during the parade. The agency posted the following alterations of their schedule this morning:
- D and H lines will be rerouted to Theater District/Convention Center and will not serve the Colfax at Auraria Station through the downtown loop
- L Line service will be suspended during the parade
- Many bus routes will be detouring, including routes 0, 1, 6, 8, 9, 10, 15, 15L, 16, 19, 20, 28, 32, 38, 43, 44, 48, 52, 83L
- Civic Center Station will be closed during the parade
- Free MallRide service will be suspended during the parade
Recommended travel plans can be found on the Nuggets website.
What'll the weather be like?
The parade and rally will go on rain or shine. Attendees are encouraged to prepare for any type of weather.
Weather this week has been cold and rainy, resulting in flood warnings across the city. Weather officials say those conditions should weaken as the week continues, but thunderstorms and rainfall will still be possible Thursday, with a high in the low 70s.
Are there accessible viewing points for people with disabilities?
There will be two ADA-compliant viewing areas for those who have had their mobility impacted along the parade route. One at the start of the parade at Wynkoop Street near Union Station, the second at Curtis Street and 17th Avenue.
At Civic Center Park, a designated area for those who are deaf or hard of hearing will be set up. The area will have American Sign Language interpreters and captions will be projected on the video screens located at the park. The area is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The closest accessible parking to the rally site will be in the Cultural Center Complex Garage.
I'm worried about gun violence after Tuesday morning's shooting in downtown. What have police said to worried fans?
In the early Tuesday morning hours, while fans were still celebrating Denver's victory in downtown, a shooting left 10 people injured. Officials say the shooting was the result of a drug deal.
Denver police chief Ron Thomas said the department has a plan to keep attendees safe during the parade and rally.
"We continue to work with the city to develop that plan and make sure that we're prepared for any instance of violence or anything that goes awry," Thomas said during a press conference.
During the same press conference, Thomas acknowledged there's always potential for violence during large gatherings.
"There are far too many guns in our community today and too many individuals that act irresponsibly with weapons," he said. "And so I think that is something that people need to be aware of and be cognizant of."
Hey, I have jury duty on Thursday -- does this mean I'm excused?
No, the festivities won't be shutting down Denver County Courts in the City and County Building next to Civic Center Park.
Members of the public who have business in the building will have to enter in the south entrance located along 14th Ave. Parking and traffic is expected to be bad, so prepare accordingly.
