A half-million people celebrate the Avs

Downtown Denver was awash with burgundy and blue on Thursday, as thousands of fans stood shoulder to shoulder to watch the Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup victory parade.

Details: The celebration showcasing the oldest trophy in North American sports started in Denver's historic Lower Downtown, with players and coaches atop slow-rolling fire trucks.

• The trophy passed the Oxford Hotel, which was built just two years before the Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893.
• The parade featured University of Denver and Denver East High School hockey players, both national champions.
• The National Lacrosse League champions Colorado Mammoth were also present.

By the numbers: The city expected at least 200,000 people along the parade route and at the Civic Center Park rally — nearly a third of Denver's population — while the Denver Fire Department estimated that 500,000 ended up attending.

• You couldn't move an inch without bumping into adults, kids, toddlers and even some dogs sporting Avs gear.
• Both Mayor Michael Hancock and Gov. Jared Polis appeared at the rally, and were greeted with boos.
• Colorado Avalanche player Erik Johnson led the rally in a rendition of Blink-182's "All The Small Things."

What they're saying: Victor Rogers and Gabrielle Dewberry brought their four children — Carlos, Lila, Camila and baby Benecio — from Centennial to watch the parade.

• Rogers grew up in Denver and saw the Avs win previous titles. "It's just a life-changing event, so I wanted to make sure they had the opportunity to experience it," he told Axios Denver.