8:00 AM Gates open for ticketed attendees
10:00 AM Preliminary festivities begin, including music by The United States Marine Band, The San Francisco Boys Chorus, and the San Francisco Girls Chorus.
11:00 AM Live internet broadcast of the inauguration begins at the Presidential Inaugural Committee web site.
11:30 AM
- Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
- Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
- Aretha Franklin will sing
- Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into office
- Music composed by John Williams and performed by Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill.
12:00 Noon As specified by the U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), presidential terms of office begin and end at 12:00 noon on January 20. Barack Obama will take the oath of office, which is this simple, 35-word, statement:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
12:05 PM (approx) President Barack Obama will give his inaugural address, followed by:
- Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
- Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
- The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"
1:00 PM (approx) Inaugural Luncheon.
2:30 PM (approx) Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House.
Evening There are many inaugural balls held around Washington, DC. Some will be hosted by President Obama, others are just parties.
- Youth Inaugural Ball - Young Americans aged 18-35
- Obama Home States Inaugural Ball - Illinois and Hawaii invited guests
- Biden Home States Inaugural Ball - Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests
- Eastern Inaugural Ball - CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests
- Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball - MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests
- Midwest Inaugural Ball - KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests
- Southern Inaugural Ball - AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests
- Western Inaugural Ball - AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS invited guests
- Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, hosted by President Obama -- Washington Convention Center. Low Cost and open to public.
- Commander-in-Chief's Ball, hosted by President Obama -- For men and women in uniform only.
Unofficial Balls:
- All American Ball
- Blue Diamond Ball
- Change Has Come Inaugural Gala
- "The Dream Come True" Inauguration Gala (7:30 PM EST – 1:30 AM)
- Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball
- The Hill Ball
- Hip Hop Inaugural Ball
- Inaugural Purple Ball
- Link Live Inaugural Gal
- MTV Be the Change Inaugural Ball
- People's Inaugural Ball (7:00 PM)
- State Society of Arizona Inaugural Ball
- Unity Ball
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