Arrive early for the Knicks championship parade on Thursday or you could be turned away. Here's why.
If you want to get into the Knicks' championship parade on Thursday, you will have to get there early.
The celebration along the Canyon of Heroes will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, and once the pens are full, the NYPD will turn people away, Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed on Wednesday.
"We expect viewing areas to fill quickly. Attendance is projected to exceed the available space in Lower Manhattan and once designated viewing areas reach capacity, people will be redirected or turned away," Tisch said.
- Read more: Knicks parade up Canyon of Heroes set to celebrate 2026 NBA championship. Here's what to know.
Knicks parade -- by the numbers
There will be 10,000 police officers assigned to the parade, the largest number ever for a planned event in New York City's history.
There will be 23 entry points to the parade that will open at 6 a.m. Everyone will be screened. There will be no bags, backpacks, chairs, bikes and scooters, strollers, umbrellas, drones or weapons allowed.
"We look forward to ensuring a safe celebration for such an important moment for so many New Yorkers," Tisch said.
Parade preparations are in full force, with officials putting the finishing touches on the city's historic lead car, a Chrysler Imperial Phaeton, which has been used in every parade since 1952.
Along the parade route on Broadway, sidewalks are being washed and potholes are being filled.
The NYPD is "just trying to be proactive"
Barricades and bleachers were being put up Wednesday along the parade route.
Police sources say there will be assets that the public will be able to see and assets it won't see.
The NYPD's security plan will also feature heavy weapons teams, explosive detection K9s, transportation, transit, highway and aviation officers, as well as the anti-drone squad.
"This is something that is above and beyond the usual, but they deem it necessary, given the size of the crowds, the activity that we witnessed in the last couple of weeks, and perhaps some information that they may have received as to some potential threat," said security expert Manny Gomez, a former NYPD detective and FBI agent.
Street and subway station closures
Starting at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Wall Street and City Hall subway stations will be closed. They will reopen after the ceremony at City Hall.
Starting Wednesday at 7 p.m., cars will not be allowed south of Canal Street. They will be towed if not removed.
At 7 a.m. Thursday, south of Canal Street will be shut to vehicular traffic from river to river.
"To prevent any potential car bombs or any threat of that nature," Gomez said. "They don't want the headache of having to tow, potentially, dozens, if not hundreds of cars. They want to be able to do it overnight so that when the parade is ready to take off, there's no mishaps."
Meanwhile, the Department of Investigation has directed city marshals to suspend evictions scheduled for Thursday in light of expected travel disruptions and limited access to the court.
