Worth the wait: At 4 a.m., fans started lining up for the Chiefs parade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Armed with lawn chairs, footballs and heaters, an alarm clock before sunrise on a chilly February morning was no match for Chiefs Kingdom.

With hundreds of thousands of fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the world champions today, early risers weren’t going to miss the opportunity of a lifetime: snagging the perfect spot at the starting line of today’s Super Bowl parade.

“I actually missed the first Super Bowl parade and I didn’t want to miss it this time, so got here early trying to avoid the traffic,” said Robert Yocklin, who arrived at 4 a.m.

Zach Lewis and his two children, who are off from school today like many across the metro, arrived at 6th and Grand shortly before 5 a.m.

“We got here early just so we could beat the crowds,” Lewis said. “This is our first time checking out the Chiefs parade, so didn’t know what kind of madness we’d be in.”

The group had about eight hours to kill before go time, but they said it was well worth the wait.

“I really wanted to get a chance to look at all the players without their helmets on,” Lewis said. “We’re not used to seeing them up close like this.”

“I would like to see Mahomes and see if I have a chance to shake hands,” said Roberto Toires, another early riser.

“This is what we live for,” Lisa Whitfield added. “We live for the Chiefs.”