A handful of Super Bowl champions will be honored by their fans beginning at Congress Square at 3:30 p.m.
PORTLAND – Patriots’ Day arrives early in Maine this April when the Super Bowl champions return to Portland for a ticker-tape parade Wednesday along Congress Street.

Five members of the New England Patriots – including Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour – and owner Robert Kraft will bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the celebration.

The Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in February to win the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.

In addition to Seymour, players expected in Portland for the parade are running back Kevin Faulk, receiver Deion Branch, linebacker Ted Johnson and long snapper Lonie Paxton.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m., starting from Congress Square and ending in Monument Square. The players will ride on a fire truck while showered with ticker tape along the parade route.

A giant JumboTron will be erected in Monument Square to allow the crowd to watch the parade and also show highlights of the Patriots march to the NFL championship.

A rally will follow the parade at Monument Square.

City officials are expecting more than 30,000 people at the event. Streets along the parade route will be closed starting around 1 p.m.