Inauguration Day 2009 Schedule
[UPDATE: Watch video of the inaugural address here]
With less than 24 hours before the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, this is what you need to know about what’s happening when.
Inauguration Day 2009 schedule
8:00 AM Gates open for ticketed attendees — if you have tickets, it will be wise to arrive very early as crowds will be huge and security heavy.
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.
11:30 AM If you have tickets to the Inauguration ceremony, you must have passed through security by this time.
* 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, speaking to the nation and world, for the first time, as President of the United States, 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. For details on the menu and invited guests, see the news release.
2:30 PM (approx) Parade down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House. If you have tickets, you need to be in your seats by 1:00 PM. There is open seating along Pennsylvania Avenue. For information on how to get to the parade route, for people with and without tickets, see the Inaugural Committee’s parade information page.
Evening There are many inaugural balls held around Washington, DC. Some will be hosted by President Obama, others are just parties.
Balls Hosted by President Obama.
* 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 (New 1/5)
Washington Convention Center. Low Cost and open to public.
* Commander-in-Chief’s Ball, hosted by President Obama (New 1/1)
For men and women in uniform only.
