Before Reds' Opening Day Game and Parade, Plan for Street Closures and Free Metro Rides

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Photo: Casey Roberts

Rapper isn't the only celebrity who will be part of the Cincinnati Reds' opening day parade.

Cincinnati’s best holiday, the Reds’ opening day, is back. While the return of baseball may fill you with joy, navigating road closures for the festivities may do the opposite. 

The opening day game and parade

The Cincinnati Reds will kickstart the 2023 season with a home opener against NL Central opponent the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 30 at Great American Ball Park. The season comes with a twist – each MLB team will meet each other on the field at least once. In addition, all 30 franchises are scheduled to play opening day on March 30 – the first time every team will do so on the same date since 1968.

First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m.

Prior to the game, the Reds' opening day parade will step off at noon from Findlay Market. Former Cincinnati Reds pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Danny Graves will serve as grand marshals. Other former athletes participating will include Reds outfielder George Foster, Bengals kicker Jim Breech, Bengals tackle and offensive lineman Anthony Munoz, Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and Olympic track star Mary Danner Wineberg. There also will be a wide array of other veterans from the Reds, Bengals, FC Cincinnati, University of Cincinnati and MMA fighters.

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Everything You Need to Know about the 2023 Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade: Former Reds pitchers and upcoming Reds Hall of Fame inductees Bronson Arroyo and Danny Graves will lead the parade as grand marshals.

Street closures

Cincinnati city officials said that a number of streets will close to motorists for the parade and its staging area (see all street closures). Streets will remain off limits until officials determine they’re safe to open after the parade has passed. At 11:15 a.m., the following streets will close:

• Liberty Street- closed between Vine Street and Central Parkway
  
• Central Parkway- closed between Vine and Elm streets
  
• Race Street - closed between Liberty and Fourth streets
  
• Fifth Street - closed between Elm and Sentinel streets
  
• 15th Street - closed between Republic and Elm streets
  
• 14th Street - closed between Elm and Republic streets
  
• 13th Street - closed between Race and Vine streets
  
• 12th Street - closed between Elm and Vine streets
  
• Court Street – closed between  Elm and Vine streets
  
• Ninth Street – closed between  Elm and Vine streets
  
• Eighth Street – closed between  Elm and Vine streets
  
• Seventh Street – closed between  Elm and Vine streets
  
• Sixth Street - closed between  Elm and Vine streets
  
• Vine Street – closed between Fourth and Sixth Streets
  
• Walnut Street – closed between Fourth and Sixth streets
  
• Main Street - closed between Fourth and Sixth streets
  
• Sycamore Street - closed between Fourth and Sixth streets
  
• Broadway Street - closed between Fourth and Sixth streets
  

Free Metro rides

Metro is making all fixed-route and Access paratransit services free to ride on opening day. The free fares extend to weekend home games throughout April and May; riders just need to provide their bus operator with proof of ballpark admission.

A number of Metro routes will be detoured on opening day for the game and for the parade. See the full list on Metro’s website.

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