Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Parade 2016

JUNE 15, 2016 PITTSBURGH PA

Posted below are my photos from the historic Penguins’ Stanley Cup Parade in downtown Pittsburgh. We arrived early (about 9:30 a.m.) and stood in front of the City-County Building. The parade didn’t start until 11:30. This tends to get tiring (especially if you don’t bring a chair which is a drag to bring in the first place) so you talk to strangers and photograph things that have nothing to do with the parade. The crowd grew and grew and grew.

Even though we had front row “seats,” 400,000 people tend to get in your way. It makes it hard to get the pictures you want to get like when Crosby got out of his vehicle, walked up to Malkin’s a few yards ahead and handed him the Stanley Cup. Then Crosby went back to his car and got out the Conn Smyth trophy. Everyone started yelling, “MVP! MVP!” (For the uninitiated, the Conn Smyth goes to the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs.)

Then we tried to get close to the stage which was impossible largely because half of the 400,00 were already there and everyone else had the same idea.

At least, we got some photos of one of the giant TV screens set up for the public and heard the speakers including the Punjabi DJ from Toronto call out “Boninoboninobonino!!”

It doesn’t take a lot to get a crowd going:)

The parade ended about 1:30 and it was great to be a part of it.