The San Francisco Giants are my absolute favorite baseball team.  When they won the 2014 World Series on Wednesday, I knew that I just had to go to their parade in San Francisco.  I had missed the two previous 2010 and 2012 World Series parades, so I was determined not to miss this year’s parade. The parade was scheduled for noon on Halloween, which was perfect because the Giants colors are orange and black.  All summer long there has been a terrible drought here in California and everyone wants it to rain.  But not on the day the Giants parade!  Despite the gloomy weather forecast, my neighbor, Clare and I ventured out to see my favorite team careen down Market street.

We decided to take BART (our mass transit) to San Francisco.  Our BART car was filled with so many Giants fans!  From babies to seniors, kids, men, women, families, all going to support their favorite team. All these Giants fans were in the best of moods and gave their advice on where was the best place to view the parade.   There were two options:  go to the Ferry Building which was where the parade would begin or go to the Civic Center where the Giants ceremony would be held.  The Ferry Building is a wonderful bit of San Francisco filled with delicious restaurants(Slanted Door), shops like Heath Ceramics, Boccalone(best salami), Acme Bread(delicious bread), Cowgirl Creamery(best cheese – try Mt. Tam), Miette(great macaroons), Delica(Japanese deli), and of course you can catch the Ferry there.

Our dilemma was solved when we decided to head toward the Ferry Building.  We exited at the Embarcadeo BART Station and made our way to Market Street.  Market Street was decorated with wonderful orange and black Giants World Series Championship banners.    Giants fans,  young and old,  were decked out in their favorite Giants garb(orange and black).  How convenient that Giants colors were also perfect for Halloween festivities later that evening.

We ended up near the intersection of Davis, Pine, and Market Street across from the PG&E building.  It was a little chilly and it was raining off and on but everyone around us was in such a very happy mood.  A woman in an orange Panda hat and two young women who were Madison Bumgarner fans were very friendly and funny.   The young Madison Bumgarner(MADBUM) fans even made orange signs for him.  They were one of the few “lucky” ones who got free pairs of black “MADBUM” jockey undies that they were giving away.  They were wearing their MADBUM undies to the parade.  There was a woman in a wheel chair who brought her whole family.   Her daughter told her mom, “Mom this is the best! So much better than what we would have done at school.  Thanks for bringing me!.”  Everyone was filled with good cheer and with anticipation for the parade.

MADBUM fans!  Finally after much waiting the parade began!

Buster Posey

Santiago Casilla and Buster Posey

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Hunter Strickland and Tim Hudson

Pablo (Panda) Sandoval

Madison Bumgarner (MadBum)

Hunter Pence

Tim Lincecum and Javier Lopez

After the wonderful parade, we went to peruse the Ferry Building and to get some lunch at Delica, Japanese deli.  It was the best Giants parade ever!  Go Giants!