Preparations underway for UConn women's basketball team victory parade

Husky nation will pour into the capitol city on Saturday to celebrate the national champions.

“We are so proud of the UConn women, winning in such dominant fashion,” Mayor Arunan Arulampalam (D-Hartford) said.

For the third consecutive year, there will be a victory parade in Hartford. The UConn men’s basketball team won the NCAA championship the last two years and this year, the women’s basketball team brought home the trophy.

“It is such a day of energy and excitement and in Connecticut we love our basketball, we are the basketball capital of the world and we look to celebrate championships and that is what UConn has given us year to year,” Arulampalam said.

Businesses are eager to celebrate the women’s dominant win over South Carolina.

“We are so lucky to have these amazing teams, I went to UConn, too, so it is something that I am personally excited about,” Bloom Bake Shop co-owner Alex Pilano said.

“I also think they made a statement for women's sports in general,” Sunberry Restaurant and Bar employee Jane Yon said.

Restaurants are opening doors earlier on Saturday to welcome in the crowds, including Bloom Bake Shop at 8 a.m., Sunberry Restaurant and Bar at 9 a.m., and Sorella at 11 a.m. 

“It is great to bring foot traffic on Saturday during the day, it is not one of our busiest times so we are looking forward to it,” Sorella owner Bill Carbone said. “College basketball and UConn for downtown Hartford is huge.”

The Hartford Business Improvement District is in charge of planning the victory parade and rally. The parade will step off at 11 a.m. from the state capitol building and then travel to the XL Center.

The festivities will take place rain or shine. Event director Chip McCabe said Saturday was the better day because of Passover and Palm Sunday.

“It is going to weather, weather is weather so Saturday was just the better day for us in terms of planning around peoples holidays weekend, planning around the schedules of the team and the coaches themselves,” Hartford Business Improvement District Director of Placemaking and Events Chip McCabe said.

Businesses said they aren’t worried about the weather.

“You know weather is always weird in April, we get a lot of rain in April in Connecticut. So, I think there is a little fear for that, but on our part we will be prepared for rain or not,” Yon said.

“We are New Englanders, if you don’t like it, wait 10 minutes it will change, we are good,” Carbone said.