Chattanooga, Tenn., will turn out Friday afternoon for a first in the city’s sports history: a parade for a national champion. Chattanooga FC, winner of the MLS NEXT Pro Cup, will roll across the Walnut Street Bridge on Friday, Nov. 13, with the procession scheduled to step off at 4:30 p.m.
The City of Chattanooga announced the plan Tuesday and is hosting the celebration together with the club’s supporters group, the Chattahooligans. Participants are asked to gather at 4 p.m. at Walnut Plaza, on the south side of the bridge.
From there the parade crosses the bridge and heads to Frazier Avenue, where it turns right into the multi-modal lane before following Frazier to Tremont Street. The route finishes at the Blue Rhino in Coolidge Park.
A ceremony with guest speakers and photos is planned for 5:15 to 5:30 p.m., with a trophy presentation. Between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m., the trophies will be taken to the club’s store at 191 River Street. Groups or individuals who want to take part in the parade can sign up through a registration link the city published with its announcement, and fans are invited to line the bridge.
The city advised visitors to plan ahead for parking. Space around Coolidge Park will be extremely limited because crews are getting the area ready for the Renaissance Faire, and officials suggested carpooling.
The parade follows a run that made Chattanooga FC the first independent club to win the MLS NEXT Pro Cup. The team beat LAFC 2 by a 1-0 score at Finley Stadium, in front of 10,228 fans, a record for the league’s cup final. It is the first national championship won by a professional team based in Chattanooga.
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