For two days, every weather forecast called for thunderstorms over those who showed up Downtown to celebrate the Penguins' fifth Stanley Cup.
The forecasts were wrong. It was sunny, it was hot, it was humid and the streets overflowed with humanity -- the Pittsburgh Police estimated attendance at 650,000 -- instead of raindrops. I covered 8,000-plus steps, drank more than two liters of water strapped to my back, and took more than 2,000 photos in the 2 1/2 hours of the parade.
Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz slammed beers along Grant Street. Fans in Cup-themed outfits chanted 'Let's go Pens!' on Commonwealth Place. Evgeni Malkin applauded a group stationed under a Boulevard of the Allies pedestrian bridge who cheered 'One-oh-one!' as he strolled by.
I've overstuffed this commemorative edition with 21 of my favorite frames from the parade. Start with Malkin's walk above, and journey through the parade until you reach Phil Bourque ready to party by the river:
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