The 10 official inaugural balls took place on the evening of inauguration day, following President Barack Obama's oath of office on January 20, 2009.
In order to obtain a ticket for the Home States Balls, attendees had to be invited. The Commander in Chief's Ball required that party-goers wear uniforms or be accompanied by a military spouse. The Regional Balls tickets were available for $150, to those invited. The Youth Ball, featuring Kanye West and Fall Out Boy was televised on MTV.ABC News: Inaugural Balls Promise Few Tickets, Long Lines (January 7, 2009)
List of Official Inaugural Balls
- Commander-in-Chief's Ball
- Neighborhood Inaugural Ball
- Youth Inaugural Ball
- Obama Home States Inaugural Ball
- Biden Home States Inaugural Ball
- Eastern Inaugural Ball
- Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball
- Midwest Inaugural Ball
- Southern Inaugural Ball
- Western Inaugural Ball
Getting Tickets to the Inaugural Ball
Despite postings on Craiglist offering tickets at high prices, tickets to the inauguration balls were not available online. They were distributed to the members of the Congress the week before the ball. Tickets could only be acquired by contacting one's congressional representative.Washington Post: The Inauguration: The Planning Begins (November 7, 2008)
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
The balls were planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, established after each election
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Tickets to the official ball were provided to members of Congress the week of January 14, 2008Washington Post: The Inauguration: The Planning Begins (November 7, 2008)
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The public was allowed obtain free tickets from their congresspersonsWashington Post: The Inauguration: The Planning Begins (November 7, 2008)
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Tickets were not allowed to be sold on eBay or Craigslist
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Barack Obama took office on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009
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The official Inaugural Balls took place the same day
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Several unofficial Inaugural balls were also held
