With two and a half hours to go until doors were expected to open for the Swift-Kelce wedding extravaganza, the scene outside Madison Square Garden was surprisingly subdued. A handful of fans lingered near the arena, but the massive crowds many anticipated had yet to materialize.
The city, though, had prepared for them. Streets around the Garden were closed and police stood at nearly every corner, as temperatures hovered at a sweltering 98 degrees, with forecasters warning they could climb higher.
For some visitors, the wedding had become the centerpiece of long-planned holiday travel. Tammy Bogard and her husband had originally arranged a trip from Dallas for the Fourth of July weekend before learning that Swift and Kelce’s celebrations would coincide with their visit. Once they heard the news, the trip took on a new significance.
Bogard arrived wearing an orange-and-blue T-shirt reading “Stevie Knicks,” which she purchased after seeing Swift wear the same one to a Knicks game at the Garden in June.
“Taylor typically finds a way to take the spotlight and put it on another performer, often a female performer, someone that she admires,” Bogard said, adding that she had bought 15 more of the shirts for fellow Swifties in her life.
Her devotion to Swift extends beyond this weekend. Bogard attended the Eras Tour stop in London, the first concert after the thwarted attack in Vienna forced Swift to cancel performances there. The experience, she said, transformed her from a casual admirer into a fan.
Elsewhere, even the city’s best vantage points had become difficult to access. Meyers Parking, a multistory garage overlooking West 31st Street, appeared to offer a potential view of the tented V.I.P. entrance where guests had arrived the night before. But by Friday afternoon, an attendant informed curious onlookers that police had secured the upper levels. Still, the possibility of catching even a glimpse of a celebrity was enough to draw fans.
Gray O’Sullivan and Frankie Root, friends from camp who live near the arena, wandered over hoping they might spot someone like Selena Gomez arriving for the festivities.
O’Sullivan said she was happy for Ms. Swift: “This is something Taylor has wanted her whole life — it’s kind of nice to see she’s getting to that next step and able to grow with Travis.”
Root described a more personal connection to the singer’s music.
“When I’m having a hard day and I listen to her, it immediately makes me feel better,” she said.
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