Eagles fans show up to parade site nearly 24 hours early: 'I'm gonna spend the entire night here'
Eagles fans camp out at Ben Franklin Parkway 24 hours before parade
With nearly one million people expected to attend the Eagles Super Bowl parade, some fans have decided to camp out on Ben Franklin Parkway to guarantee the best seats in the city.
PHILADELPHIA - With the Eagles Super Bowl parade vastly approaching, people are making their way into the city of Philadelphia despite the chilly forecast.
FOX 29's Steve Keeley caught the action at Ben Franklin Parkway on parade day eve.
What they're saying:
The number one fans are already here to see their number one team.
"Al, whose idea was it to get here at 3 p.m. today for tomorrow's event, 24 hours early?" asked Keeley.
"We do this every Super Bowl," said Al. "In 2018, we were out doing the same thing."
"How old were you then in 2018?" asked Keeley.
"16, 15. I was out here by myself last time," he responded.
Eric and DeSean have the best seats, the ones they brought to be closest to the team's stage.
It's the equivalent of a luxury suite on the 50-yard line at a game, minus the heat, the bathroom, and the hot meals.
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Eagles parade map: Find bathrooms, medical tents on Philadelphia's interactive parade map
- Eagles parade: Tips and tricks to stay warm, monitor your kids, and more
- Eagles parade: PATCO outlines plans for NJ residents traveling to parade
- Eagles parade: Everything you need to know about timing, parking, transit and more
- Travel guide: How to get to the Eagles Super Bowl parade
- Street parking will be free in Philadelphia for Super Bowl parade Friday
"Are you cold yet? You think you'll get any sleep out here? Lots of noise?" Keeley inquired.
"I don't wanna be asleep. I'm gonna be up. Plenty more of my cousins gonna be here, so we're gonna have down here just chilling," said the Eagles fan. "I'm gonna spend the entire night here."
Fan number three looks a bit like that guy in Eagles lore who had snowballs tossed at him way back when.
"It's a very big deal. I love the Eagles, and I wanna see them up close. We've been to most of the games, all the playoff games, went to the Superdome in Louisiana and saw them there, and I just can't wait for tomorrow," said Rick Reilly from North Pole.
The wait may not be so comfy, with winds whipping the Lombardi trophy flags and making the cold feel even colder. But still, they will likely only remember being this close to a championship team in a championship city with a million or more like-minded fans.
The Source: The information in this story is from Eagles fans at the Art Museum ahead of the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX parade.