Today’s the Day-- Cup Coming Home

Public festivities honoring America’s Cup victor Dennis Conner will begin at 1 p.m. today with a parade starting at Harbor Drive and Grape Street.

The parade, consisting of Conner, his crew and members of the Sail America syndicate riding in open convertibles, will head south on Harbor Drive to Broadway.

From there, the parade will turn toward the bay and end at the B Street Pier, where a stage will be set up in the parking lot.

At 2 p.m., Mayor Maureen O’Connor and other local dignitaries will convene a welcoming ceremony scheduled to last about half an hour.

After that, Conner will hold a press conference inside the adjacent cruise ship terminal.

Officials handling the preparations suggest that people arrive about noon for the best seats on the parade route and in the parking lot.

Paul Downey, O’Connor’s press secretary, said the city wants the B Street Pier celebration to also include boats, and that boaters have been asked to anchor at the end of the pier in a show of support.

The schedule of events is contingent on Conner’s plane arriving at Lindbergh Field at 12:30 p.m.