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Blues Stanley Cup Parade Roars Through St. Louis As Rain Turns To Sunshine

Floats and fire trucks make their way down Market Street during the Blues championship parade in downtown St. Louis on Saturday.
Nick Schnelle | Special to St. Louis Public Radio
Floats and fire trucks make their way down Market Street during the Blues championship parade in downtown St. Louis on Saturday.

St. Louis Blues fans by the tens of thousands gathered downtown Saturday to watch their team celebrate its first Stanley Cup victory.

The rain let up just as the parade began at noon. Floats, which featured individual players and their families, started at 18th Street and moved slowly down Market Street toward Gateway Arch National Park.

Nancy Fowler spoke with Blues fans before the parade about how it feels to finally celebrate a championship team.

Fans’ excitement over winning the Cup brought them to downtown long before the parade began. Some, such as Jeff Pleimann of Oakville, arrived Friday night and claimed a spot for about 50 family members and friends.

“I’ve watched every game, we’ve had a party every game, all four series,” Pleimann said. “It was important that we all be together in one spot.”

Overcast skies and occasional rain didn’t stop the celebration. Retiring Blues national anthem singer Charles Glenn performed before the rally and several Blues players spoke, including captain and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

“It’s been a long, wild ride. I mean, we’ve been working pretty hard to get to this point,” Pietrangelo said. “You think about it, but you don’t really know what it’s like until it comes.”

The Blues beat the Boston Bruins in the seventh and deciding game of the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night.

Reporter Jeremy Goodwin covers celebrations after Game 7, including Phish's cover of the Blues' victory anthem "Gloria."

Fans cheer loudly as players pass by during the championship parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Fans cheer loudly as players pass by during the championship parade.

After waiting for more than five decades for the Blues to win the Stanley Cup, fans get rowdy at the victory parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
After waiting for more than five decades for the Blues to win the Stanley Cup, fans get rowdy at the victory parade.

Danny Tobben of Washington, Mo., celebrates after chugging beer from a "Stanley Cup" made from beer cans during the parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Danny Tobben of Washington, Mo., celebrates after chugging beer from a "Stanley Cup" made from beer cans during the parade.

Blues forward Jaden Schwartz waves the Blues flag Saturday.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues forward Jaden Schwartz waves the Blues flag Saturday.
Blues rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington celebrates during the Blues championship parade in downtown.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington celebrates during the Blues championship parade in downtown.
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko sprays champagne in celebration during the championship parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko sprays champagne in celebration during the championship parade.

Blues fans flock downtown for the Stanley Cup parade and tell reporter Jeremy Goodwin how it feels to be champions at last.

Blues fans cheer during the parade in downtown St. Louis on Saturday.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues fans cheer during the parade in downtown St. Louis on Saturday.
Fans cheer as Blues players, including defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, pictured left, are carried by pickup trucks along the route.
Fans cheer as Blues players, including defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, pictured left, are carried by pickup trucks along the route.
Blues great Brett Hull celebrates with a smaller replica of the Stanley Cup.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues great Brett Hull celebrates with a smaller replica of the Stanley Cup.

Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson carries the Stanley Cup at the end of the parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
Blues defenseman Joel Edmundson carries the Stanley Cup at the end of the parade.
The Stanley Cup passes through the hands of fans toward the end of the Blues victory parade.
Credit Provided | Nick Schnelle
The Stanley Cup passes through the hands of fans toward the end of the Blues victory parade.

Follow Nancy on Twitter: @NancyFowlerSTL

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org

Blues Stanley Cup Parade Roars Through St. Louis As Rain Turns To Sunshine
Blues Stanley Cup Parade Roars Through St. Louis As Rain Turns To Sunshine

Copyright 2019 St. Louis Public Radio

Nick Telep
Nancy is a veteran journalist whose career spans television, radio, print and online media. Her passions include the arts and social justice, and she particularly delights in the stories of people living and working in that intersection.
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