WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Barack Obama will host a Youth Inaugural Ball, five Regional Inaugural balls, and a ball for his Home States – Illinois and Hawaii. Vice President-elect Joe Biden will host a ball for his Home States as well: Delaware and Pennsylvania. These balls round out the list of official inaugural balls to be held on Tuesday, January 20, along with the previously announced Neighborhood Inaugural Ball and Commander in Chief’s Ball. The President-elect and the Vice President-elect will appear at each of the ten inaugural balls.
“This is America’s inaugural celebration in every way,” said Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. “Young people are more engaged in this country’s future than ever before and we want to harness that excitement by inviting them to participate in this historic occasion. In that same vein, we are hosting events to bring people from all walks of life and from across the country – from the President-elect and Vice President-elect’s home states, as well as every corner of the nation – to celebrate this country’s unity moving forward.”
The Youth ball is intended for young Americans aged 18-35 and will celebrate the inauguration of the new president and the role young Americans can play to serve their communities. Tickets will be available at a reduced price of $75.
The Regional Inaugural Balls are an inaugural tradition that President-elect Obama will continue, inviting guests from the Midwest, the West, the East, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic regions to their own celebrations. Tickets will be available to invited guests for $150.
To cap off the night, Obama and Biden will each host guests from their home states to a ball to celebrate their inaugurations with those who know them best – their friends, families and local supporters. Tickets to this event will also be available to invited guests for $150.
Additional details about the balls are below:
- Youth Inaugural Ball – Young Americans aged 18-35; Washington Hilton
- Obama Home States Inaugural Ball – Illinois and Hawaii invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Biden Home States Inaugural Ball -Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Eastern Inaugural Ball – CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests; Union Station
- Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball – MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Midwest Inaugural Ball – KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Southern Inaugural Ball – AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests; National Guard Armory
- Western Inaugural Ball – AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS invited guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Neighborhood Inaugural Ball – DC residents, additional guests; Walter E. Washington Convention Center
- Commander-in-Chief’s Inaugural Ball – Enlisted active duty and reserve military; National Building Museum