Barack Obama’s Official Inaugural Balls

Illustration from the Smithsonian Institution.

The long-awaited list of official presidential inaugural balls – the only ones where President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden are guaranteed to make an appearance – has finally been released. And if you’ve already bought a gown or rented a tux, bear in mind that almost all of these Jan. 20 bashes are by invitation only.

Youth Inaugural Ball: Aimed at the 18- to 35-year-old crowd (nice to think 35 can still be considered youthful). Ticket cost: $75. Venue: Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. N.W.

Obama Home States Inaugural Ball: You have to be from Illinois or Hawaii and you have to be invited to get into this ball. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place N.W.

Biden Home States Inaugural Ball: Yup, you have to be from Delaware or Pennsylvania to be invited to this bash. Same price and venue as Obama’s home states bash.

Eastern Inaugural Ball: Invites go out to folks from Eastern states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Union Station, 50 Massachusetts Ave. N.E.

Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Western inaugural balls: Mid-Atlantic includes invitees from New York to West Virginia; Midwest includes such states as Kansas, North Dakota and Missouri; Western states include California as well as Guam, American Samoa. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: Both are being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Southern Inaugural Ball: Invitations will be made to folks in the South. Ticket cost: $150. Venue: National Guard Armory, 2001 E. Capitol St. S.E.

Neighborhood Inaugural Ball: Open to D.C. residents and additional guests; details on tickets – said to be free or affordable – are yet to come. Organizers guarantee a strong interactive component in the form of webcasts and texts.

Commander in Chief’s Inaugural Ball: Open to enlisted active-duty and reserve military; ticket costs/invitations haven’t been released. Venue: National Building Museum, 401 F St. N.W.

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