Inaugural Tickets

[Anonymous]

Are they impossible to get? How does it work - ceremony vs. parade? I'd like to be there but I haven't been in DC long enough to know how it all goes down.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I'd really like to know how this works as well

[Anonymous]

With the crowds and security, I would choose to do ceremony or parade, unless you're a vvvvip and have the best tickets.

[Anonymous]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27596406/

* Destination D.C. has up-to-date information on 2009 inauguration events, hotel availabilities and links to the official inaugural Web site and a site that has information on state society balls. (They even have a Twitter feed and a Facebook page to keep visitors up-to-date.)
* For details (and tickets) on the swearing-in ceremony and other Inauguration Day activities, see the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies site. Tickets to the swearing-in ceremony on January 20th are free, but you need to contact your Congressional representative or U.S. Senator to request them.
* If you’d like to actually be in the parade, check the Armed Forces Inaugural Day Committee site. The AFIC coordinates the musical units, marching bands and other parade performers, and will be taking applications until 5 p.m. EST on November 14th.

[Anonymous]

IIRC, the ceremony is on the west front of the Capitol, and there are tickets provided for most of the mall (the tickets come in various colors corresponding to the various areas on the mall). Each congressional office gets several hundred tickets to hand out. There may also be space at the back of the mall that is not ticketed.

I think most of the parade route is not ticketed, but I could be wrong about that.

The inaugural balls are generally put on by the "state societies" (e.g., the Illinois state society, the Hawaii state society, etc...). Some are sold out and some are still selling tickets, but there are many balls, not just one, so the Obamas probably won't make it to all of them, and won't make it any of them for all that long.

[Anonymous]

The balls are not really elegant or special. Most DC people don't even go to them. They're crowded, the food is bad, and full of out-of-towners. The private parties are better.

[Anonymous]

Watch out - looks like Oprah will be in town too!