Boston came together for a different kind of snow party on Wednesday, standing outdoors in freezing weather and on streets where snow banks are nearly 6ft (1.8 metres) tall to take part in the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory celebration.
The parade ran from the Prudential Tower to city hall, with a procession of players and members of the Patriots organization atop 25 duck boats – second world war-era amphibious trucks – five flatbed trucks and four dedicated confetti transporters.
Toilet papers being launched in the air like footballs #patriotsparade #CityHallPlaza pic.twitter.com/q9CNAOQPDH
— Bernice Corpuz (@BerniceWBZ) February 4, 2015
The event comes after a record-shattering week of snow for the city, which was pummeled with more than 40 inches (1 metre) of snow in two separate winter storms. Severe winter weather was also the cause of nine deaths around the country.
The parade was first scheduled for Tuesday, and Boston mayor Marty Walsh originally said it would go on as planned. By Monday, a statement from the mayor’s office cited bad weather and an ominous forecast, and said the choice to move the festivities to Wednesday was made with the Patriots. The city did axe the traditional rally outside city hall after the parade, and the mayor urged fans to be safe and not climb the snow banks.
“If I felt it was going to be a public safety issue, we would cancel it,” Walsh told reporters.
They're swarming the snowbanks! #WBZ #Patriots Parade pic.twitter.com/9bxEQqyfFk
— Paula Ebben (@PaulaEbbenWBZ) February 4, 2015
Walsh also defended the move by saying most of the Patriots players will have already left the city for vacation by the weekend.
The move was a cruel twist of fate for school-aged Patriots fans, as Boston public schools were back in session on Wednesday after being closed Monday and Tuesday.
Thousands of fans converging on downtown also put added strain on the nation’s oldest public transit system, which is still running on limited service due to storm damage. Along with widespread delays, 50 riders were stranded on a six-car Red Line train for nearly two hours on Monday, and the MBTA eventually advised riders to avoid the line altogether.
“It’s bad, OK?” MBTA general manager Beverly Scott said in an interview with WBZ NewsRadio. “This should be a real wake-up call in terms of what are the consequences of lack of investment in a system for years and years.”
While service has “improved” since Tuesday, MBTA officials urged fans to buy tickets ahead of time to avoid long lines in overcrowded stations.
MBTA did not immediately answer calls for comment.
Some fans were critical of the move on social media. Many of the dissenters said Walsh should have pushed the parade to the weekend to allow children and people with day jobs to partake in the festivities.
I've waited so long to go to a Patriots Super Bowl parade & I can't even go so yeah my life is over now & I'm never going to be happy again
— Denae Walukevich (@Denaee18) February 4, 2015
But largely, Bostonians were eager for the chance to revel in the city’s latest championship. The Patriots’ 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks marks the team’s fourth title, sealed by a thrilling interception in the final moments of the game. It was also the first time in Super Bowl history that a team overcame a deficit of more than 10 points in the fourth quarter.
