What you need to know about the Thunder victory parade

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA Champions, and to celebrate, the city is announcing a victory parade.

Watch the live news conference in the player above.

PARADE DETAILS:

The victory parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. and last approximately 1.5 hours.

“The day of the parade will forever live in the annals of our city’s history,” Mayor David Holt said. “It is a celebration of our team’s historic accomplishment and our city’s renaissance. All Thunder fans from across the city, state and world are invited. I encourage all employers and entities in OKC to allow availability for all to attend, to the greatest extent possible. For those attending, please recognize the extraordinary and unprecedented magnitude of the event and expect long periods of time and significant walking for ingress and egress. And for downtown businesses and entities, please recognize that normal operations will not be possible on Tuesday. Let’s Thunder Up, OKC! WE are the champions!”

Large crowds are expected to attend the city's first-ever NBA championship parade. Similar events in other cities have attracted 500,000 people or more. Police officers, firefighters and emergency personnel from across the metro area will be along the route to help ensure a safe and enjoyable celebration. 

“We encourage parade attendees to make a plan for the day,” City Manager Craig Freeman said. “Have at least one or two backup options for parking and arriving safely at the event. You may need to walk long distances to and from the parade route. We also encourage people to bring refillable water bottles and packaged food or snacks.”

The parade route starts at NW 10th Street and N. Harvey Avenue and heads south
on Harvey, west on NW 5th Street, south on N. Walker Avenue, east on Oklahoma
City Boulevard, south on S. Robinson Avenue, and ends at Scissortail Park.

Cross streets and other surrounding streets will be closed.

Attendees Should:

• Not leave bags unattended and immediately contact police if they notice an
  unattended bag.
• Make a plan regarding travel, parking, public transit, supervision of children
  and wear comfortable and weather-appropriate attire.
• Be prepared to walk, as road closures near the parade route will lead to
  traffic congestion and delays.
• Note: CELL PHONE RECEPTION MAY BE EXTREMELY LIMITED.
• Make a plan in case you become separated from your party, including
  identifying emergency meet-up points in case of separation. Look for
  landmarks. It is recommended that you take photos of your family in the
  event that you need to locate them and identify what they are wearing.
• Ensure children have contact information for their parents or guardians with
  them. Write your number on a bracelet, their wrist, or on a piece of paper in
  their pocket.
• If you see something suspicious, say something. Tell the nearest police
  officer or public safety official.

PARADE ROUTE:

Embark:

• Transit Center—The downtown Transit Center at 4th & Hudson will not be accessible. A temporary Transit Center will be located in Lot R at OK State Fair Park. View the Temporary Bay Map.
• OKC Bus – All regular fixed-route buses will depart every hour. Routes 015, 019, and 024 will operate on their regular weekday schedule starting at 7 a.m.; However, no night service routes will run after 7 p.m. Plan ahead for delays and find your bus route detour here.  EMBARK Norman will not be affected.
• RAPID NW – Departures will be every 30-minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The route will be impacted by street closures. Plan ahead for delays and find your bus route detour here. 
• EMBARK Plus and Mobility Management – Paratransit service will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, please check your destination and call 235-PLUS to ensure your destination is accessible. 
• OKC Streetcar – Streetcars will not operate until the parade ends. Service on the Downtown loop will begin when Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) have cleared the route, and will run as scheduled until midnight.
• Customer Service – Call 405-235-RIDE (7433) or visit the Help Center. Customer Service is open 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  
• EMBARK Parking   

• On-Street Parking – Availability dependent upon location. Some parking will be prohibited in designated areas impacted by parade activities. Signage will be posted at least 24-hours in advance, and vehicles parked in restricted areas will be towed at the owner’s expense. 
• Convention Center Garage – Open to the public while availability lasts. Entry and exit via E.K. Gaylord Blvd., only. 
• Century Center Garage – Open to the public while availability lasts. 
• Arts Garage – Closed to the public. Available to essential OKC city employees. Entry to the garage only available via N. Hudson and Main St. until 8:30 a.m. Vehicle entry and exit will resume after the parade. 
• Sheridan Walker Garage – Closed to the public beginning 48-hours prior to the parade and reserved for event staff only. 

• Park & Ride Special Event Shuttles – EMBARK will provide free special event shuttle service to and from the parade from three designated Park & Ride locations. Parking is free, buses will depart every 15 minutes, starting at 7 a.m. and continuing until two hours after the parade ends.

Park & Ride Event Shuttle Drop-off/Return Locations 

• Shuttle Parking: State Fair Lot - R Lot 
• Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Main & Lee (near SGA Mural) 
• Shuttle Parking: Remington Park West Lot (MLK Ave. & Remington Dr.)
• Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Broadway between NW 7th & 8th 
• Shuttle Parking: Capitol Lot - South Lot (21st and Lincoln)
• Shuttle Drop-off/Return: Broadway between NW 7th & 8th.

PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS
Pedestrian crossings along the parade route will be available at the following
locations, until the parade starts or as conditions allow. These closures could
happen as early as two hours before the parade begins.

• NW 8th Street at Harvey
• NW 6th Street at Harvey
• NW 5th Street at Hudson
• NW 4th Street at N Walker Avenue
• Robert S Kerr at N Walker Avenue
• W Main Street at N Walker Avenue
• W California Avenue at N Walker Avenue
• N Hudson Avenue at Oklahoma City Blvd
• S Robinson Avenue at Oklahoma City Blvd (to Scissortail Park only)

ROAD CLOSURES:

There will be significant travel delays on Monday and Tuesday. Road closures on
the parade route will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 23 and extend into Tuesday
until the parade concludes.
The streets running east and west of Harvey Avenue, Walker Avenue, and Robinson
Avenue along the parade route will be closed. The streets running north and south
of NW 5th Street and Oklahoma City Boulevard along the parade route will be
closed. These street closures will be in effect beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, June
23.

Commuters should allow for extra time on Monday and Tuesday. Roads will reopen
as safety allows.

Additional streets surrounding the parade area will have very limited access to
ensure safety and accessibility for all those who are attending and participating.
There will be parking restrictions along and around the parade route. These
restrictions go into effect Monday morning, June 23, at 8 a.m. and extend into the
evening on Tuesday, June 24.

Cars parked in temporary no parking zones will be relocated at the owner's
expense. Cars parked on the interstate will be relocated at the owner’s expense

MEDICAL HELP & COOLING STATIONS
Attendee safety is a top priority. EMSA will provide a strong and visible EMS
presence, with highly trained personnel deployed via ambulances, ATVs, bikes, and
walk-teams to ensure rapid response across the 2-mile route. OU Health will staff
multiple cooling stations and first aid tents, offering shaded or air-conditioned
relief, rehydration, and immediate care for heat-related issues and minor injuries.
COOLING STATION LOCATIONS

• West side of the parade route on NW 8th between Hudson and Harvey
• East side of the parade route on NW 8th between Harvey and Robinson
• West side of the route on the circle drive at the Civic Center
• East side of the parade route in front of City Hall between Couch and
  Colcord.
• East side of the parade route in the Arts Council lot between Walker and
  Hudson