Schedule of events for inauguration week

With inauguration week approaching fast, excitement is building as Obama is closer to taking office.  So what can you expect outside of massive crowds and security detail?  Well for starters, you are not going to be see a massive change in the way the country is run because it takes time for a new administration to settle in and for changes to begin to take effect.  One thing you will have to get used to is the fact that after eight years we will finally be able to say our President’s name is not Bush, as Obama will lose the title of President elect and finally step into the official role as the President of the United States.

For those who want to be a part of the inauguration celebrations, here is the activity line up for the week although it may be too late to find tickets for several of the events.  Heading up the days to when Obama actually takes the presidential oath and officially becomes sworn in as the President of the United States he will be quite busy along with Biden visiting areas of the country and expressing his views on the inauguration week theme “renewing America’s Promise.  You can expect to see him in many surrounding areas of DC on Saturday January 17^th including Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore

On Sunday January 18^th a concert will be hosted to kick off the official start of inauguration week on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial which is open to the public and for those who will not be in the DC area it will be shown on HBO.  If you are in the Washington area, the gates open at 8am and the show begins at 2:30 with many celebrity performers scheduled to perform from Bono, Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Usher, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen and many more.  To give the event a proper historical feel, as inauguration week will be a momentous event in American history historical passages will be read from celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Queen Latifah and more.

Monday January 19^th Obama and Biden as well as their families will be participating in community work across the Washington area in honor of legacy left behind by Martin Luther King Jr.  They encourage their supporters and Americans in general to reach out to their communities and volunteer as well promoting change in America in the future.

Tuesday January 20^th is the official day of the swearing-in ceremony which you will need a ticket to attend.  These were allotted to citizens by representatives and senators from each state so if you were unable to receive one unfortunately you cannot purchase them from anywhere despite what a seller may claim.  For those who do not receive tickets, you can attend the Inaugural Parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, but you cannot line-up until 7am.  For those who are planning to attend umbrellas are prohibited due to security reasons and the weather is expected to be in the low 30’s or 20’s so make sure you dress accordingly.

Finally, throughout the reminder of inauguration week there will be many inaugural balls and galas hosted throughout Washington some planned officially through the White House and others celebrations thrown by the State Societies of Washington or private citizens and clubs.  You will have to do some research if you hope to attend one of these, but no matter how connected you are there will be a location for you to celebrate the new presidency and inauguration along with the rest of Washington.