After weeks of speculation, the Presidential Inauguration Committee announced today the full slate of official inaugural balls President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden plan to attend on January 20. The duo is set to make pit stops at 10 balls throughout the night, the most noteworthy being the Youth Inaugural Ball held at the Washington Hilton. Created for young Americans 18 to 35 years old, the ball is the first of its kind, with tickets costing just $75. “Young people are more engaged in this country’s future than ever before, and we want to harness that excitement by inviting them to participate in this historic occasion," Presidential Inaugural Committee executive director Emmett S. Beliveau said in a press release.
Also making the committee's official roster of events are five regional inaugural balls—honoring the Midwest, West, East, South, and Mid-Atlantic regions—as well as a joint ball for Obama's home states of Illinois and Hawaii and another for Biden's, Delaware. Following in President George W. Bush's footsteps, Obama will host a Commander-in-Chief's ball at the National Building Museum, where active, reserve, and wounded military, their spouses, and families of fallen soldiers will be honored. Another new addition to the inaugural landscape, the Neighborhood Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, is set to connect Obama's new hometown with other neighborhoods throughout the country via Webcasts and text messaging.
A full list of the balls, venues, and ticket prices is here.
