A few people have asked me what the schedule is for next Tuesday. For those of us on the West Coast, the quick answer is it's "Get up way friggin' early." The "festivities" commence on Tuesday at 10 am EST, so plan on being up and holding coffee by 7 am PST if you're on the West Coast.
site for full information, but click below to get the full day's schedule.
On
Saturday, January 17th, President-elect Barack Obama will be holding an event in Philadelphia, before boarding a train bound for our nation’s capital. He will be picking up Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his family in Wilmington, DE, and then making a stop for an event in Baltimore, MD, before pulling into Washington, D.C. that afternoon.
The following events will take place in the nation’s capital between Sunday, January 18th and Wednesday, January 21st:
Sunday, January 18thWe Are One: Opening Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial at The Lincoln Memorial, between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW on 23rd Street. President-elect Barack Obama will kick off the schedule of official inaugural activities in Washington, D.C., with a welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday afternoon. The event will be free and open to the public.
Doors open: 8:00 AM EST
Event begins: 2:30 PM EST
Monday, January 19th - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
In 1994, to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service. To honor Dr. King’s legacy, the President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families, joined by Americans in communities all across the country, will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C. area.
That night, on the eve of the Inauguration, there will be a youth concert at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. The concert will be free, but tickets are required.
Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration DayThe President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:
• Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
• President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
• Inaugural Address
• Poem: Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”
After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate. While there is no official start time for the parade, it traditionally begins around 2:30 PM EST
Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls.
