Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Metro does not expect as many riders as for the 2009 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, but there will be station closures and other transportation adjustments.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) has released the video above to help riders prepare for the 2013 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama. Inauguration day is Monday, Jan. 21. Though Metro and security officials are expecting a much smaller crowd than last year, trains and buses will still be quite crowded and some Metro stations and bus stops will be closed. For more on how Metro is preparing for increased ridership, see these links: Taking Metro to the 2013 Presidential Inauguration Walking Routes Downtown on Inauguration Day For much more on transportation, events, weather and all things related to the inauguration, see Patch’s special 2013 presidential inauguration section here.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Maps, schedules, social network and more for Obama's ceremonial swearing in.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has released a free official app for attendees at the inauguration of President Barack Obama on Monday, as well as for those watching from home. The app includes a schedule of events, maps, volunteer opportunities, a feed for social networking, behind-the-scenes videos and photos and a live stream available Monday for those who won't be there. The app is available on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Click here to download the app. Steve Kerrigan, President and CEO of the Inaugural Committee, said in a statement the app is for Americans across the country to share in this moment in history. "Whether you're in Washington, DC or any other part of the nation, there are plenty of ways to be involved in …
Monday, January 14, 2013
All you need to get ready for the Jan. 21 ceremony.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
If you haven't been invited to an official ball, there are plenty of other inaugural balls you can attend.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend just two official inaugural balls — the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball for members of the U.S. military and the Inaugural Ball. Both official balls are at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The ticketing period for both events has closed. But, if you still want to get dressed up and dance the night away, there are a number of “unofficial” Inaugural Balls—ones that are sponsored by state parties or societies, non-profit organizations or other groups. While there won’t be a presidential visit, they can be a lot of fun. The Virginia Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Arlington County Democratic Committee. It …
Buyers and sellers are now doing business on Craigslist, outside ticket outlets.
People hoping to attend one of President Obama's two official Inaugural balls woke up Monday morning to find out that they are likely out of luck. The Washington Post reported Monday that the tickets sold through Ticketmaster sold out before they even went on sale, blaming the error on a "computer glitch at Ticketmaster." The official Inaugural Committee's Facebook page had nearly 400 messages Monday afternoon from people irate about the incident. "Make this Ticketmaster thing right or lose a lot of volunteers for the festivities," wrote one woman named Barbara. A woman named Judy wrote: "This should have been a fair process in which all who were selected had a chance at the public tickets. I took off work to be home Monday just so I would…
If you didn't get a ticket from your local congressional office, there are areas of downtown DC where you can watch the 2013 Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama without a ticket. Or, you can buy a ticket from a reputable online source.
The time has passed for members of the public to request tickets to the 2013 Presidential Inauguration, but you can still watch the inauguration from the downtown Mall. President Obama's swearing-in will take place at noon Monday, Jan. 21 on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (He'll be sworn in privately the day before, due to a constitutional requirement that he be sworn in by Jan. 20.) Each Senator and Representative received a limited quantity of free tickets that they may distribute to the public at their discretion. Most congressional offices accepted ticket requests right after the 2012 election and are in the process of choosing who receives those tickets and informing those people. You Can Buy Tickets... “With that said, the …
“Only the heartiest will ride from Fairfax City and beyond," says area cycling enthusiast. Bicycles are not allowed at the inauguration itself, but you can still bike into the district and avoid the crowds. Here’s some advice from the pros.
There's a way to get to the inauguration without worrying about Metro, traffic or parking—take your bike. "Bikes are, by far, the easiest and quickest way into and out of the Mall for the inauguration," said Mark Blacknell, of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee and author of Clarendon Cycles on Patch. Alan Young, of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (and a Burke Patch Local Voices contributor), agreed. Biking to the presidential inauguration downtown is “one of the easiest ways to get in and out there is,” Young said. He biked into the inauguration in 2009 with his sister and nephew. Routes Into the District from Virginia “Only the heartiest will ride from Fairfax City and beyond,” Young said, but he also suggested people …
Ahead of President Barack Obama's 2013 inauguration Jan. 21, we rounded up historic photos showing presidential oaths of office past.
President Barack Obama's second inauguration ceremony and celebration Jan. 21 is a far cry from the inauguration of our first president, George Washington. That ceremony was held April 30, 1789 at Federal Hall in New York City, where the federal government was headquartered at the time. Later inaugurations were held in Philadelphia when the federal government moved there. It was there at Washington's second inauguration that he made the shortest inauguration speech on record—133 words and less than two minutes long. One thing all presidential inauguration swearing-in ceremonies have in common, though, are these words: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States and will, to the best…
