RACHEL WHELAN WLWT NEWS FIVE. RACHEL, THANKS SO MUCH. AND YOU KNOW, HARD TO EVEN GUESS A NUMBER. LOOK AT THE SEA OF RED HERE. TENS OF THOUSANDS LINING THE STREETS OF CINCINNATI A LITTLE EARLIER TODAY FOR THE FINDLAY MARKET PARADE. THEY’RE ALL THE WAY TO FOUNTAIN SQUARE IS THE 107TH OPENING DAY PARADE TOOK OVER OUR CITY. I DIDN’T TRY TO DANCE. YOU SAW SOME OF THE WLWT PEOPLE DANCING. OBVIOUSLY I DIDN’T DO THAT, BUT THERE WERE BANDS THAT WERE HORSES, THERE WERE FLOATS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS, AND THERE WAS BRIAN HAMRICK. HE’S BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF IT. AND HE’S LIVE RIGHT NOW. HI, BRIAN. YEAH, MIKE, WE’VE BEEN CELEBRATING FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY OUT HERE. SO LONG. OPENING DAY PARADE. WE’VE FORGOTTEN THE CONNECTION THAT SOME OF THE THINGS IN THE PARADE HAVE TO ANY OF IT. FORTUNATELY, I FOUND SOMEONE WHO KNOWS. IT’S DRUMS. AND SAXOPHONES. DANCERS ON STILTS AND GIRLS JUMPING ROPE. ALL, OF COURSE, TO CELEBRATE BASEBALL AND SPRING TAKES HALL OF FAME REDS CATCHER JOHNNY BENCH TO CONNECT THE DOTS AND EXPLAIN THE MEANING. WELL, IT MEANS EXCITEMENT FOR THE WHOLE CITY. AND SPRING IS STARTING. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, BASEBALL IS STARTING. IT ALL MAKES PERFECT SENSE. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CINCINNATI FANS AND AN ENTIRE CITY WHO ALL SHOW UP TO ROOT FOR THE PLURAL OF A BRIGHT COLOR. CINCINNATI REDS WOO! WOO! AND THERE’S PLENTY OF REDS PARAPHERNALIA TOO, ATTACHED TO DOZENS OF FLOATS, ALL SAILING DOWN 107 YEAR OLD RIVER OF TRADITION. WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO BRING THE CREW OUT HERE? BECAUSE IT’S HISTORICAL. THIS REDS IS THE OLDEST BASEBALL TEAM IN AMERICA, AND THIS IS HISTORICAL. AND ATMOSPHERE IS ELECTRIC, AND EVERYBODY SHOULD DO THIS. CRYSTAL RIVERA’S DAUGHTER HAS BEEN TO THREE OF THE 107 HER WHOLE LIFE, THOUGH SHE NAMED THIS ONE. IT’S BEEN A LIFETIME FOR HER. YES, SIR. JUST THREE. IT’S SUCH A TRADITION. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL’S VERNAL EQUINOX IS BALANCED ON THE MOMENT OF OPENING DAY IN CINCINNATI. AROUND THESE PARTS, SPRING IS IN A SEASON. BASEBALL IS. AND IT ALL STARTS RIGHT HERE AT FINDLAY MARKET. THE INTERSECTION OF THE PAST AND FUTURE. AND NOW 107 IS PART OF THE PAST.
Cincinnati celebrates return of Reds baseball with Opening Day Parade
Updated: 5:43 PM EDT Mar 26, 2026
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Cincinnati today, from Findlay Market to Fountain Square, as the city celebrated the 107th Opening Day Parade with bands, horses, and floats.The parade, a celebration of baseball and spring, included drums, saxophones, dancers on stilts, and girls jumping rope. Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench explained the significance of the event, saying, “It means excitement for the whole city, it means spring is starting, it means more important baseball is starting.”The excitement was palpable among Cincinnati fans, who showed up in droves to support their team. “We’re loving our Cincinnati Reds,” one fan exclaimed, while another added, “Go Reds.”The parade featured plenty of Reds paraphernalia attached to dozens of floats, all sailing down a 107-year river of tradition. Crystal Rivera, who attended the parade with her daughter, emphasized the importance of the event, saying, “Because this is historical. The Reds are the oldest baseball team and it’s historic and everybody should do this.”Rivera’s daughter has attended three of the 107 parades, and Rivera noted, “Her whole life though, she ain’t missed one. It’s been a lifetime for her – just three.”In Cincinnati, spring is synonymous with baseball, and the Opening Day Parade marks the beginning of the season. Findlay Market serves as the intersection of Opening Day past and future, and now the 107th parade is part of the past.
CINCINNATI —
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Cincinnati today, from Findlay Market to Fountain Square, as the city celebrated the 107th Opening Day Parade with bands, horses, and floats.
The parade, a celebration of baseball and spring, included drums, saxophones, dancers on stilts, and girls jumping rope.
Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench explained the significance of the event, saying, “It means excitement for the whole city, it means spring is starting, it means more important baseball is starting.”
The excitement was palpable among Cincinnati fans, who showed up in droves to support their team. “We’re loving our Cincinnati Reds,” one fan exclaimed, while another added, “Go Reds.”
The parade featured plenty of Reds paraphernalia attached to dozens of floats, all sailing down a 107-year river of tradition.
Crystal Rivera, who attended the parade with her daughter, emphasized the importance of the event, saying, “Because this is historical. The Reds are the oldest baseball team and it’s historic and everybody should do this.”
Rivera’s daughter has attended three of the 107 parades, and Rivera noted, “Her whole life though, she ain’t missed one. It’s been a lifetime for her – just three.”
In Cincinnati, spring is synonymous with baseball, and the Opening Day Parade marks the beginning of the season. Findlay Market serves as the intersection of Opening Day past and future, and now the 107th parade is part of the past.