EVENT 411: 1/20/09 -- Barack Obama's Inauguration

It's the hottest ticket in the country right now. No .. Not the Bayou Classic, not the SuperBowl, not even front row to Beyonce's next concert tour.

I'm talking about tickets to see Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th and first Black President.

People are cutting Christmas presents short, taking money out of paychecks and even pawning their belongings (or putting them on E-Bay) to get their hands on plane tickets, hotels rooms and the golden tickets that will give them entrance into the most historic Presidential Inauguration in U.S. History.

I wanted to go, but alas ... ya girl is too broke to make the trip ...



But for those of you itching to head to D.C. and see the action in person, here's the information I've received thus far:




ABOUT THE TICKETS:


** There are only 240,000 tickets to the Inauguration ceremony, with only 30,000 assured seats in front of the Capitol.


** You can get (on the list to get) tickets by requesting them from your State Senators or Representatives. You can write them or e-mail them -- whichever works for you.


** Lawmakers only receive a few hundred or a few thousand, so don't expect a miracle. They will probably be distributed on a first come first serve basis (and you know they have to return a few favors). So far most Reps have over 1,000 requests each.


** More info on tickets and volunteering can be found here: http://inaugural.senate.gov/





ABOUT THE INAUGURATION:


** For those living under a rock, the Inauguration is Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Obama will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on the steps of the Capitol.


** Some 1.5 million visitors are expected to be in D.C. for the Inauguration. (Three times more than attended the last one).


** Hotels are reporting no vacancies not only in Washington, D.C., but in surrounding suburbs. If you CAN find a hotel in the area, they are starting at around $700 a night with a 4-night minimum.


** Public transit in DC is very user-friendly and makes it easy to get into the city from neighboring towns in Maryland and Virginia, so you may want to look into that!


** Lots of bus trips are being planned, go HERE to get the information for your area.


** You don't need tickets to attend the Inaugural Parade. For any of these events, expect lots of walking and waiting in large crowds... with security at a max.


** Tickets to Inaugural Balls are by invitation only and are astronomically priced ... up to $40,000 a piece.


** Even those without tickets for the inauguration or the inauguration balls will be able to participate in some events. They'll be able to watch the parade from a sidewalk location along the route; overlook the inauguration from the Mall, although they probably won't be able to make out Obama or any of the other dignitaries from so far away; and attend impromptu parties at Washington pubs and hotel lobbies.




For a better rundown of Inauguration day events, go HERE. Good luck on getting tickets!!! And if you go take plenty of pictures (to give to me) ... :-D