Kansas City Chiefs fans can show their love to the Super Bowl LVIII champions during a Valentine’s Day parade through local streets Wednesday.
The victory parade will begin downtown at 11 a.m. local time and will last approximately 90 minutes, organizers announced Monday. The parade route will start at 6th Street and Grand Boulevard and head south toward Union Station.
The parade will be followed by a rally outside Union Station at approximately 12:45 p.m., featuring speeches from players, coaches, and team chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.
Many will be hoping to see the Chiefs’ most famous fan — Taylor Swift, who is dating Kansas City’s star tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has not commented on her plans but it would be a tight scheduling feat. She has to be in Melbourne, Australia, which is 17 hours ahead of Kansas City, by 6 p.m. Friday for the first of three scheduled concerts on her Eras Tour. And the flight itself takes about 17 hours.
Unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit (15-20 Celsius) — and the possibility, remote though it might be, of a Swift appearance — are expected to boost attendance. Businesses along the parade path are turning the day into a viewing party for their workers.
Crews already are blocking off streets at Union Station, where the 2-mile (3.22-kilometer) route will conclude with speeches. By midday Monday, the stage where the team will deliver its speeches was partially constructed, a giant Chiefs’ flag waving outside.
Later this year, the Chiefs are expected to make the traditional trip to the White House, and it remains to be seen if Swift will be tagging along for that as well.
Asked at Monday’s press briefing if the pop star could come along as a “plus-one” when the team visits the White House to celebrate its second Super Bowl title in as many seasons, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “That’s going to be up to the Chiefs, and obviously their decision to figure out who’s going to come with them.”
“I can’t speak to attendance and who will be here,” Jean-Pierre added.
When pressed on whether the players would be allowed to bring guests, Jean-Pierre said she wasn’t sure of the protocol.
“That’s a good question. I can’t answer that right now. But, look, we are looking forward to having them here, the Chiefs,” she said.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Source: www.espn.com