As of the end of Thursday, President Barack Obama’s tenure in office will officially come to an end. On Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn into office at the presidential inauguration. There have already been a number of things taking place on Thursday afternoon and evening to prepare for everything, but the true happenings come on Friday. Now, here is your full schedule of events with how, when, and where to watch.
On Thursday night, as reported by NJ.com , the “Make America Great Again!” Welcome Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial took place, and it was a star-studded event. Jon Voight, Toby Keith, and Lee Greenwood were there, as was the president-elect himself and he gave a speech to the big crowd.
. @realDonaldTrump : “This was a victory for all of us.” #Trump45 pic.twitter.com/pqETWPKqbI
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 20, 2017
Earlier on Thursday, there were performances at the Lincoln Memorial by Voices of the People, as well as a number of high school marching bands. In the afternoon, Donald Trump and Mike Pence headed to Arlington National Cemetery for the wreath laying ceremony.
PEOTUS @realDonaldTrump and VPEOTUS @mike_pence honoring those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country at @ArlingtonNatl pic.twitter.com/n1wpLJOm7T
— Trump Inauguration (@TrumpInaugural) January 19, 2017
A huge fireworks display is set to end Thursday night’s festivities, but the schedule on Friday will include much more.
Beginning on Friday, the schedule will take place through some rather cloudy and cool weather. CNN is advising attendees of the outdoor events to prepare for possible rainy weather and to dress comfortable while bringing along water and some snacks.
From there, here is how the schedule will run for the swearing in on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017:
6 a.m. ET
The security gates of the Capital grounds are set to open which will have viewing areas on the west side. Now, parking will be very limited, and that means it is highly recommended that you arrive as early as you can to get a spot.
8:30 a.m. ET
The president-elect, vice president-elect, Cabinet nominees, and all of their families and friends will have a church service. It is set to take place at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
9:30 a.m. ET
The president-elect, vice president-elect, and their families will attend a tea service on the South Portico of the White House. This tea will be host by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.
10 a.m. ET
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will lead their office successors to the Capitol from the White House as per tradition. This is the official beginning of the ceremony and here is where the bulk of the inauguration day schedule begins.
11 a.m. ET
At this time, the opening remarks will take place and the official swearing in of Mike Pence as Vice President of the United States will commence. Coverage is expected to begin at 11 a.m., but the official happenings on the schedule will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.
12 p.m. ET / Noon
At this time, United States Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. will conduct the swearing in of Donald Trump and administer the oath of office for the new president of the United States. After the swearing-in is completed, the new POTUS will deliver his inaugural address and then, break to have lunch with members of Congress at the Capitol.
3 p.m. ET
The inaugural parade will take place at this time and make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue and head to the White House.
Coverage throughout the day will take place across all major news channels:
- CNN
- Fox News
- Fox
- NBC News
- NBC
- ABC
- PBS
- CBS
- MSNBC
If you can’t be near a television, the schedule of events can still be seen streaming live online through the sites of many of the news outlets above. The New York Times will also have streaming coverage on its website and across the social media platforms of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.
In the evening, there will be three inauguration balls, and it is typical that the president, vice-president, and their wives attend. Expect a good deal of coverage from these events on different news networks and across social media networks.
TOMORROW! #MAGA #TrumpInaugural @realDonaldTrump @mike_pence pic.twitter.com/SrtxqxLXUr
— Trump Inauguration (@TrumpInaugural) January 20, 2017
By the time Friday afternoon rolls around on Jan. 20, 2017, the presidential inauguration will have taken place and Donald Trump will officially be the president of the United States. All of the major news networks will provide as much coverage as possible to whatever they are allowed into, but it’s going to be a busy day. The opening concerts, the swearing-in of the new president, and everything that is to follow on the schedule will proceed on Friday and you can watch history happen.
[Featured Image by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images]