PORTLAND – For the second time in three years, Maine football fans thronged Monument Square in the city’s downtown Wednesday to cheer the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Some fans arrived before 6 a.m. to stake out prime seats for the afternoon parade and rally, which city officials estimated was seen by 45,000 people.

The guest list included Patriots owner Bob Kraft and five players – linebacker Ted Johnson, running back Kevin Faulk, wide receiver Deion Branch, long snapper Lonie Paxton and Richard Seymour, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end. The visitors brought their Vince Lombardi trophies awarded for the 2002 and 2004 Super Bowl victories.

Brunswick firefighter Jamie Mitchell, 34, arrived at 5:45 a.m. He stood at the metal barriers marking the front boundary of the rally area, wearing an old firefighter’s jacket and helmet that were both liberally covered with Patriots patches.

“I’ve got room for three more on this sleeve,” he said. “Then we’ll start on the other sleeve.”

He said he viewed the wait until the 3:30 p.m. rally as eight hours of tailgating.

“I’ve been a Patriots fan since I can remember,” he said. “Probably because they epitomize teamwork.”

When the players arrived at Monument Square, they danced for the crowd and signed the T-shirts, footballs and hats thrown their way.

“How does it feel to be the number one fans in the National Football League?” Faulk asked. “Winning the Super Bowl was great, but winning it for the fans and our families and everybody else, that’s what makes it even more special for us.”

Fans basked in the warmth of Portland’s first sunny spring day as they waited for the parade to arrive. Workers in neighboring offices watched from open windows or climbed onto roofs to get a better view.

Sixth grade teacher Helen Flaherty chaperoned 66 students on a field trip from Memorial Middle School in South Portland. Their parents were working, she said, and she wanted them to see the rally firsthand.

“This is a big event for Portland and the kids,” she said. “They can’t miss this. It’s something they’ll always remember.”

Stephanie Frye, 26, and her sister-in-law Jennifer Kneeland, 28, waved their vanity license plates instead of signs. The plates read “4PATFNZ” and “XXXVIII,” the number of this January’s Super Bowl win against the Carolina Panthers.

“Two wins in three years, it’s just exciting for the Patriots,” Frye said. “And then we’ll all be here next year.”

Munday Nordmann, 32, pulled her 10- and 12-year-old children from school for the day.

“I don’t let them do it often,” she said. “Today should have been a holiday.”