Arlington’s Entertainment District was a sea of red, white and blue on Friday as an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 fans from across the Dallas-Fort Worth region turned out for a parade to celebrate at the Texas Rangers first World Series victory.

The parade, which included the Texas Rangers players, Manager Bruce Bochy, team executives, Mayor Jim Ross and the Arlington City Council, marching bands from the University of Texas at Arlington and all six Arlington ISD high schools, and Arlington police and fire representatives, looped around Globe Life Field and Choctaw Stadium on a 1.9-mile route lined with fans of all ages.

Festivities wrapped up with a public ceremony in the North Plaza, opened by longtime Rangers public address announcer Chuck Morgan with an exuberant “Please welcome the World Champion, Texas Rangers!” The team, which began playing in Arlington in 1972, hoisted the World Series Trophy while Creed’s “Higher” blared over the crowd cheers. The ceremony, which ended with a shower of confetti and champagne, included comments from Bochy, World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager, second baseman Marcus Semien, pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, right fielder Adolis Garcia and Mayor Ross.

“Fifty one years ago, the ‘Boy Mayor’ Tom Vandergriff traveled to Washington, D.C. and convinced the Senators to move to Arlington, Texas, and become the Texas Rangers. Fifty one years ago, the Rangers were born, and they have been raised here in Arlington, Texas, and they have given and given and given wonderful memories to everybody in the community all throughout North Texas,” Mayor Ross said at the ceremony. “Now they have given us one very special memory, and that is the World Championship trophy. Once and for, all this team proved what Arlington knows to be true, and that is we are better together. Rangers, thank you for making our dreams come true.”