There are no Taylor Swift sightings to speak of, but downtown Kansas City has been turned into a sea of red for Valentine’s Day as Chiefs fans celebrate their third Super Bowl title in five seasons with a parade.
‘It never gets old,’ Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas posted on X as he prepared to join Wednesday’s festivities to mark the Chiefs’ come-from-behind, 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers.
In a nod to the double holiday (parade + Valentine’s Day), Patrick Mahomes’ wife Brittany posted a picture of the rose her Super Bowl MVP husband got for her, writing: ‘He didn’t forget.’ And she wasn’t alone. Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna, was seen handing out roses to many of the attendees.
Key on the minds of many fans is whether Swift would join her boyfriend Kelce for the parade and victory speeches. Swift has not commented, and isn’t expected to be aboard one of the double-decker buses. She has a show in Melbourne, , on Friday night, the first of three scheduled concerts on her Eras Tour.
Still, that remote possibility, combined with unseasonably warm temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit (15-20 Celsius), are expected to generate a crowd that city officials estimate could top 1 million. In fact, several players were seen shirtless amid the rising excitement on the street, including soon-to-be free agent linebacker Willie Gay.
‘I missed last year. I said, ”I’m not missing this year,” said longtime fan Charles Smith Sr., who flew from his home in Sicklerville, New Jersey, for the parade.
Patrick Mahomes is seen behind Travis Kelce aboard one of several double-decker buses at Wednesday’s parade in KC
Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna, takes a picture on her phone during Wednesday’s Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade
Travis Kelce is either signaling that he’s open or that the Kansas City Chiefs are – once again – the best team in the NFL
In a nod to the double holiday (parade + Valentine’s Day), Mahomes ‘ wife Brittany posted a picture of the flower her got for her
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and his family are seen with the Lombardi Trophy during Wednesday’s parade
A Kansas City Chiefs fans takes a selfie in front of Union Station, wearing a Taylor Swift shirt
Several young fans get a better view of the parade on Wednesday in Kansas City by climbing a tree near Union Station
A general view as Kevin Moore waves a flag in front of Union Station prior to the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII parade
A detailed view of clothing showing Taylor Swift is displayed during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory parade
Known by friends as Kansas City Smitty, the 52-year-old first became a Chiefs fan when Christian Okoye played fullback for the team starting in the late 1980s.
‘I got a history with this team,’ he said, adding that he ran out of his home with a giant flag, screaming ‘Kansas City,’ when the Chiefs clinched the victory in overtime.
The city and the team each chipped in around $1 million for the event commemorating Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs becoming the first team since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots two decades ago to defend their title.
Some fans camped overnight and others began to stake out spots before dawn to catch prime viewing spots. Bailey McDermott, 17, and Gracie Gilby, 16, of Lebanon, Missouri, got up at 3am to make the three-hour drive to the parade. They had a party to watch the game, confetti poppers erupting when the Chiefs won.
‘Kind of freaking out at the end,’ said Gilby, who wore a sequined Chiefs jerseys with Kelce’s No. 87 on it. McDermott also had a sequined jersey, hers bearing Mahomes No. 15.
Greased traffic poles were supposed to prevent fans from climbing to the top, but that plan may have failed
Fans gathered along the parade route with commemorative caps and banners Wednesday
Kansas City Chiefs’ linebacker Willie Gay celebrates during Wednesday’s parade with an unlit cigar and a bottle of something
A store window displays cardboard cutouts of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift during Wednesday’s parade in Kansas City
Light poles were expected to be greased ahead of the parade to prevent fans from climbing to the top
A Kansas City Chiefs fan poses for photos with a replica of the Vince Lombardi trophy during the Super Bowl victory parade
No, that isn’t Patrick Mahomes. It’s actually a shirtless man wearing a large mask of the Super Bowl MVP’s famous face
A fan is seen holding a sign displaying the face of Travis Kelce, although there appears to be some wear and tear
A young fan is seen playing football during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on Wednesday in Missouri
Many of the largest school districts in the area have canceled classes, and businesses along the parade path are turning the day into a viewing party for their workers. At least 600 Kansas City police officers will be stationed along the the 2-mile (3.22-kilometer) route, police Chief Stacey Graves said.
This year’s parade will follow almost exactly the same route as the Chiefs’ 2020 and 2023 Super Bowl celebrations.
It will begin at 6th Street the Kansas City River Market and ending at Pershing Road in front of Union Station, according to the Kansas City Star.
However, there is one difference to this year’s map with the route not set to head through City Market.
Teens and younger kids were everywhere, some tossing footballs, others watching replays of game highlights on giant TV screens.
Among them was Elysseah Buford and her friend, Devaun Burns, who watched the game in between taking orders at McDonald’s. ‘We’re loosing. We’re loosing,’ Buford recalled saying. But Burns scolded her, even as a manager declared that the game was a lost cause: ‘I said, ‘Don’t speak it. Believe it.’
Kansas City Chiefs fans look on during the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVIII victory parade, where temps were in the 60s
Fans walk past a fountain with red water as they arrive for the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade on Wednesday in Missouri
Some fans hoped to catch a glimpse of Taylor Swift with some making signs referencing her lyrics
Chiefs fan Scott Shepard poses with ‘KC’ chains around his neck ahead of the parade, where 1 million fans are expected
Don Lobmeyer, a Chiefs fan from Wichita who recently spoke to DailyMail.com, is seen at Wednesday’s parade in Kansas City
The 18-year-old high school seniors from Raymore joined the festivities with another friend, 17-year-old Mekiyzeion Williams. who dared to ask what would have happened if Mecole Hardman missed the final touchdown catch. ‘Shut up,’ Burns said.
After decades without a championship, the city is gaining experience with victory parades. Five seasons ago, the Chiefs defeated the 49ers for the team’s first Super Bowl championship in 50 years. That followed the Kansas City Royals winning the World Series in 2015, the city’s first baseball championship in 30 years. That year, fans abandoned their cars on the side of the highway so they could walk to the celebration.
Then, last year, the Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 and prophetically vowed they would be back for more.
One big change this year is that the parade is getting started one hour earlier at 11am so the crowd will dissipate before the Valentine’s Day dinner crowd shows up.
After the massive cleanup, the team gets ready to try it again.