On Monday, DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser called in to The Sports Junkies’ show ahead of the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby at Nationals Park. During the call, Mayor Bowser estimated that at least 500,000 people attended the Capitals’ Championship parade to celebrate their first ever Stanley Cup win.
With the sheer volume of Caps fans that turned out to line the streets as the buses carrying the players drove by, as well as crowded the stage at the National Mall, it wouldn’t be shocking if that number was accurate.
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“We knew how thirsty Caps fans were for a win and a championship in the Stanley Cup, so we prepared, and they delivered,” Bowser said. “We’re not really in the estimating business, but everybody’s saying that they thought it was at least 500,000 people out there on the Mall that day.”
The closest estimate to date has been posited by the Metro. They tweeted on June 13, the day following the parade, that the final ridership for the day was 840,145 — the highest since the Women’s March on January 21, 2017. The average daily ridership for the Metro is 612,652 (as last publicized in May 2017).
Yesterday’s final ridership: 840,145. Wow! Highest since last year’s Women’s March. #WMATA #ALLCAPS
— Metro (@wmata) June 13, 2018
“We do big events in our city, from inaugurations to parades to demonstrations. And now we even have sport championship parades, which I’m really excited about,” Bowser added. “It’s been a long time since we had a parade in our city, and we need to have another one.”
On behalf of 700,000 Washingtonians, I want to thank our @Capitals, and their captain @ovi8, for bringing the #StanleyCup home! #SportsCapital #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/IOM8IzyvrX
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 12, 2018
Headline photo: USA TODAY Sports
