The Villanova men's basketball team once again paraded through Center City Philadelphia to celebrate their second NCAA national championship in three years.
The Wildcats paraded down Market Street to City Hall starting at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Public Transit Info | Road Closures | Parking Restrictions | Other Restrictions
The parade proceeded eastbound on Market Street to 15th Street, southbound on 15th Street to South Penn Square, eastbound on South Penn Square, terminating on South Penn Square west of Broad Street.
Once at City Hall, a huge pep rally took place at Dilworth Park. Officials estimate the rally will wrap up around 12:30 p.m.
[PHI] Villanova Celebrates NCAA Championship with Parade
Expect traffic delays in the area. At 9:30 a.m. police closed Market Street from 20th Street to 30th Street Station. No cross traffic was allowed until noon, police said. There will be other road closures and parking restrictions in place until midday Thursday. Click here for the full list or keep scrolling down this page.
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Public Transit
SEPTA's Broad Street and Market Frankford subway lines, trolley lines and Regional Rail service serve as great ways to get close to the parade route as the transit agency adds extra capacity.
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The Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail Line (running every 30 minutes) should see extra volume as passengers near Villanova's campus use the Radnor, Rosemont and Villanova stations. SEPTA will also provide service from the Villanova area (Radnor and Villanova stations) on the Norristown High Speed Line to the 69th Street Terminal, where fans can pick up the Market Frankford Line to Center City.
Some Center City SEPTA bus routes, however, will be detoured from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. due to the parade. The 2, 4, 7, 16, 17, 27, 31, 32, 33, 38, 44, 48, 62, 124 and 125 will be detoured, SEPTA said. Click here fore SEPTA's full parade plan.
Stairs and elevators accessing Dilworth Park from the underground concourse closed starting at 9 a.m. SEPTA hoped to keep its City Hall subway station open but if overcrowding occurs, fans will be asked to use the 13th Street (MFL) and Walnut-Locust (BSL) stations.
Station closures were also possible on trolley routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36.
SEPTA urged anyone planning to use the system Thursday to buy tickets and passes in advance. Regular commuters should be prepared for "extremely heavy" usage. All train passengers traveling from Center City between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. must have pre-paid fare before they can get on the platform, SEPTA said.
PATCO operated its regular weekday schedule between South Jersey and Center City stations Thursday. PATCO ran six-car trains every 12 minutes between the rush hours to accommodate extra Villanova fans and Phillies fans heading to the home opener.
Philadelphia bike-sharing service Indego didn't make any major changes to its service for the parade.
Road Closures
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- 1600 to 1900 Market Street
- 16th Street from JFK Blvd. to Chestnut Street
- 17th Street from JFK Blvd. to Chestnut Street
- 18th Street from JFK Blvd. to Chestnut Street
- 19th Street from JFK Blvd. to Chestnut Street
- 20th Street from JFK Blvd. to Chestnut Street
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- 1500 Market Street
- 15th Street from Race Street to Chestnut Street
- South Penn Square from 15th Street to Broad Street
Police will reopen streets after post-parade cleaning, Philadelphia officials said.
Parking Restrictions
Temporary no parking signs will posted from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m.:
- 1400 JFK Blvd. (south side)
- 1500 to 1600 JFK Blvd. (both sides)
- 1700 JFK Blvd. (both sides)
- 1500 to 2900 Market Street (both sides)
- 15th Street from Chestnut Street to Arch Street (both sides)
- S. Penn Square from 15th Street to Broad Street (south side)
Vehicles parked in these areas will be relocated.
Other Restrictions
The march is a no-drone zone.
Philadelphia officials asked attendees to not leave any bags unattended. If you see something suspicious, call 911.
The city lists more tips on its Special Event Safety Guide.
Also, the U.S. Postal Service is taking out of service about two dozen mailboxes along the parade route Thursday.
No School
Villanova closed Thursday so all students and staff could attend the parade.
The Wildcats defeated Michigan 79-62 Monday night behind an impressive off-the-bench performance by sixth man Donte DiVincenzo.
The parade route is similar to the 2016 victory parade, which drew thousands of fans and ended at City Hall. The Wildcats also paraded through the city after their improbable 1985 NCAA basketball championship.
