For those of you who were around two years ago, you know the drill.
For newcomers to the Villanova championship scene — welcome. Monday night’s 79-62 thumping of Michigan and the ensuing bedlam on Nova’s campus was just the first part of the celebration. There’s another championship parade in Philly — on Thursday in Center City. In contrast to the Eagles long march from South Broad Street to the Art Museum, the Wildcast will march on a different route, identical to the one they took in 2016 when they last won a championship.
Here is a complete guide to the parade this week:
The basics
The parade starts at 11 a.m. at 20th and Market Streets. It will stretch to Dilworth Park next to City Hall where a victory rally will be held.
How to get there
The university released some useful information for public transit. They say that: extra capacity will be added to SEPTA’s Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), Market- Frankford Line (MFL) and Broad Street Line (BSL). The NHSL provides service from the Villanova University area with stops at Radnor and Villanova Stations (Please noteStadium Station is currently closed for renovations).
NHSL passengers can transfer to the MFL at 69th Street Transportation Center to continue the trip to Center City.
Regional Rail is also an option for fans traveling to the parade, as SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Line serves stations in Radnor, Villanova and Rosemont. Paoli/Thorndale Line trains operate approximately every 30 minutes. Schedule details are available at www.septa.org/schedules/rail/index.html.
The subway stations at City Hall will remain open, unless things get over-crowded.
Where to avoid
The following streets will be closed starting at 10:00AM until approximately 1:00PM on Thursday, April 5th:
1600-1900 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
The following streets will be closed starting at 10:00AM until approximately 3:00PM on Thursday, April 5th:
1500 Market Street
15th Street from Race Street to Chestnut Street
S. Penn Square from 15th Street to Broad Street
What to wear
The rain will finally stop Thursday, but the cold will not. Temperatures for the parade are expected to be in the mid to high 40s during the event so be sure to wear a few layers underneath your Nova swag.
Best spot
A rally will take place at Dilworth Park likely close to noon. It’s a good chance to get up close with the team before many players, like Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges (likely) go their seperate ways and head to the NBA. There is also a chance the players could break some news at the rally, as every player from the championship roster still has eligibility to play on the Main Line again next year — or go pro.
Grab a spot along market street within view of the stage and big screens next to City Hall.
