zohran mamdani said Tuesday the city will give away 600 tickets for the City Hall ceremony honoring the Knicks after Thursday’s parade. More than 347,000 New Yorkers applied for the public lottery, and 300 people will receive two tickets each.
The ceremony will come after the Knicks end a 53-year title drought and receive the ceremonial Key to the City. James Dolan said Alicia Keys will perform live during the event, adding another public draw to a day already built around the team’s celebration.
Canal Street Closures
The parade begins with major access limits. Parking will not be allowed south of Canal Street starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and cars that are not removed will be towed. At 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Wall Street and City Hall subway stations will close until the celebrations end.
By 7 a.m. Thursday, south of Canal Street will be shut to vehicular traffic from the Hudson River to the East River. The FDR and West Side Highway will remain open, while traffic coming off the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan will only be able to go northbound on the FDR. Pedestrians will still be able to use the walkway.
NYPD Parade Security
The NYPD is assigning more than 10,000 members to the parade, the largest number ever sent to any planned event. The deployment includes heavy weapons teams, explosive detection K9s, transportation, transit, highway, aviation, drones and other units.
Attendees will be screened at the parade, and no bags will be allowed. Pets, strollers, backpacks, coolers and umbrellas are also prohibited. The parade pens open at 6 a.m., and the parade is slated to start at 10 a.m.
Staten Island Ferry Service
Transit changes extend beyond lower Manhattan. Staten Island Ferry service will be increased and will run every 15 minutes during the celebration period.
For anyone trying to reach the parade area or the City Hall ceremony, the practical takeaway is simple: arrive early, travel light, and expect checks at the perimeter. The city is limiting access long before the parade starts, and the ticket lottery has already narrowed who gets into the ceremony itself.
