Blues Parade And Gateway Arch Rally Planned For Saturday At Noon

ST. LOUIS, MO — If you haven't yet heard your fill of "Gloria," you're in luck. The St. Louis Blues will hold a parade and rally Saturday starting at noon to celebrate their 2019 Stanley Cup win. (You may have heard something about that already.)

The parade will start at noon at 18th and Market and end about a mile east at Broadway and Market. The rally will follow at the Gateway Arch.

The events are free and open to the public, but with more than half a million people expected to attend, officials encourage those hoping for a view to arrive early. Visitors will enter the park grounds through one of three security checkpoints, two in Luther Ely Smith Square and one north of the Arch.

Soft-side coolers are allowed with sealed, non-alcoholic beverages in non-glass containers. Cash-only concessions will also be available on site.

Some downtown streets will close starting at 11 a.m. Friday, including the eastbound I-44/northbound I-55 Walnut Street ramp and the westbound I-44 Poplar Street Bridge ramp. Officials say MetroLink is the best way to avoid traffic, with the Busch Stadium, 8th & Pine and Laclede’s Landing stations being the closest to the parade route and rally.

Hopefully the weather cooperates. The forecast calls for a chance of showers and storms Saturday morning, followed by another round of storms — possibly severe — Saturday evening. Conveniently, the National Weather Service in St. Louis says there may be a break in the rain around noon. Temperatures will top out in the mid 80s.