2009 Inauguration Day Schedule of Events

2009 Inauguration Day Schedule. The historic 2009 inauguration is almost upon us. In the event you are not one of the many traveling to Washington D.C. to catch President-Elect Obama's swearing-in live, there is no lapse in coverage this year. CNN will televise the main ceremony live, while BET will also cover the ceremony, parade, and other extensive coverage throughout the day. Nikelodeon will televise highlights throughout the day with a focus on presenting the material to children. The day's events will also be streamed live on the Internet at: pic2009.org.

2009 Inauguration Day Schedule of Events

7:00 AM - Parade route is open for the populace to line-up for viewing.

8:00 AM - Gates open for ticketed attendees. Lines are expected to be lengthy.

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

- 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.

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.

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.

Inaugural Evening Events

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.

Unofficial Balls

All American Ball

Blue Diamond Ball

Change Has Come Inaugural Gala

"The Dream Come True" Inauguration Gala (7:30 PM EST - 1:30 AM)

Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball

The Hill Ball

Hip Hop Inaugural Ball

Inaugural Purple Ball

Link Live Inaugural Gal

MTV Be the Change Inaugural Ball

People's Inaugural Ball (7:00 PM)

State Society of Arizona Inaugural Ball

There are many inaugural balls held around Washington, DC. Some will be hosted by President Obama, others are just parties.