ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves were cheered by hundreds of thousands of fans in a two-stage parade on Friday celebrating the team’s first World Series championship since 1995.

Some area schools closed, and students seized the opportunity to attend the event.

The parade started in downtown Atlanta, near the Braves’ former home at Turner Field. The route took the busses, floats and pickup trucks past a memorial to late Hall of Famer Hank Aaron at the site of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The procession then headed to Peachtree Street, where fans packed sidewalks several rows deep.

Atlanta police estimated 300,000 to 400,000 fans attended the downtown portion of the parade.