Philadelphia preps for partying should Phillies clinch World Series berth

A potential Phillies World Series berth this weekend could set off celebrations across Philly — and city officials are planning ahead.

Driving the news: The city is placing barricades at City Hall and nearby locations as precautionary measures to control possible crowd flows if the Phillies secure a win in the National League Championship Series this Sunday, spokeswoman Joy Huertas told Axios.

• "Any other type of public safety measures for this weekend are still being discussed at this time," she added.

State of play: The Phillies and San Diego Padres are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series.

• Game 3 takes place in South Philly tonight at 7:37pm, with Games 4 and 5 scheduled at Citizens Bank Park Saturday and Sunday too.

Threat level: Phillies fans have waited years for this moment. The last time the team made it to the World Series was in 2009.

Flashback: In 2018, the city erupted in celebration when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl — with thousands gathering in parts of the city and some climbing greased up light poles.

What to watch: Huertas said police will be in contact with local businesses, advising them on how to prepare for "potential events" in their corridors.

• The police department is also evaluating patrols for the weekend.

Zoom in: Officers in the 15th Police District in Northeast Philly put out warnings earlier this week for the potential of unruly celebrations, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

• Police asked residents and businesses on Cottman and Frankford Avenues to pull down and lock grates and remove anything outside their buildings.

• Bars were asked to sell drinks in plastic containers rather than glass.
• Police warned open-container laws also would be enforced, per the letter.

What they're saying: Mike Harris, executive director of the South Street Headhouse District, told Axios that the business district has not put out recommendations itself but would follow any directives from police.

• "We're not advising businesses anything other than they would do on a normal Saturday," he said.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Games 4 and 5 are at Citizens Bank Park, not Lincoln Financial Field.