Neighborhood Inaugural Ball
Monday January 5, 2009
In keeping with his commitment to make this inaugural celebration open and accessible to all Americans, President-elect Barack Obama will host the first-ever "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball" during this year's inaugural celebration. The ball will be the premier event of inauguration evening on January 20, 2009 and will be held at the Washington Convention Center. Musical performers scheduled for the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder. Nick Cannon will DJ the event. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed. It will air live on ABC 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Tickets: With tickets available free or at an affordable price, it is the first official inaugural ball of its kind to be held during a presidential inauguration. More than a thousand tickets to the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball were made available to members of the District of Columbia metro area's general public and were distributed through dozens of community organizations across the metro area to volunteers who serve in the local community. Looks like it is a free event, but not open to all.
How You Can Participate in Your Own Community: The Presidential Inaugural Committee is asking Americans to host neighborhood ball events in their communities to watch and follow along with the show on ABC. There will also be live blogging from the Convention Center, so people can follow along online and get behind the scenes scoop. Neighborhood parties across America will be able to participate in the event via both text message and online video. People will be able to text in photos of their events and send video - both of which could appear in the television program. Watch the the ball online, find a party in your neighborhood or text HISTORY to 56333 to participate.
Read More About the Inauguration
Tickets: With tickets available free or at an affordable price, it is the first official inaugural ball of its kind to be held during a presidential inauguration. More than a thousand tickets to the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball were made available to members of the District of Columbia metro area's general public and were distributed through dozens of community organizations across the metro area to volunteers who serve in the local community. Looks like it is a free event, but not open to all.
How You Can Participate in Your Own Community: The Presidential Inaugural Committee is asking Americans to host neighborhood ball events in their communities to watch and follow along with the show on ABC. There will also be live blogging from the Convention Center, so people can follow along online and get behind the scenes scoop. Neighborhood parties across America will be able to participate in the event via both text message and online video. People will be able to text in photos of their events and send video - both of which could appear in the television program. Watch the the ball online, find a party in your neighborhood or text HISTORY to 56333 to participate.
Read More About the Inauguration
Comments
I am so glad for the President-elect Barack Obama’s success and his victory. Our special prayers and blessings from CLACTON RAM MANDIR for long success for ever and ever. May Lord bless him and family with best health, wealth and happiness in future.
Our retirement community is having an inaugeral ball here in Kirkwood, Missouri. Let us know how we can receive textes, etc.
Thanks
Free or “affordable”? What do they do, ask for proof of income (or lack thereof)? Does “D.C.” residents mean that surrounding communities, like Alexandria or Arlington, VA don’t get the special reserved quota of tickets? It will be interesting to see further details. I hope there’s good security at the convention center.
If you are coming in for out of state, how do you get information to get tickets to the neighborhood ball. I has been hard to get any tickets for most events.
No details have been announced yet. If you bookmark this page, I will add the details here as the information is available.
Great iddea to have a “Neighborhood Inaugural Ball” - the Ball for the Common People. I remember when Mayor Fenty did that — but these things go, I’m sure those who “know someone” in the official offices will have first dibs. I am one of the common folks - low income - no contacts in the right places. The reality is that I really have no chance at getting in, even at the “affordable price”.
This is so great that there will be a free ball! You can also enter for a chance to win a free trip for 2 - including tickets to the inauguration, tickets to an inaugural ball (the Hawaii Ball), hotel and airfare - by submitting a short sentence on your commitment to changing your community, nation or world at The Case Foundation: http://change.casefoundation.org/.
I am a retired educator and excited about the Inaugural activities. I am traveling from the other Washington to be a part of this once in a life time experience. Looking forward to more information about the possibility that I hope is a reality to recieve tickets for the ball for the common people.
I notice all the rooms at the hotels are taken. How about staying at our house on Inauguaral week. Near Fair Oaks. Master Bedroom, full jazzucci bath, sunny kitchen, dining room, even a treadmill..etc. dotti41@verizon.net $400/night
Greetings. Thanks for keeping us updated. I want to attend the Neighborhood Ball. In these hard economical times it is discouraging to see the balls just for the monied and politically connected.
This ball will be nice for those of us who should equally matter: regular tax payers.
Has anyone heard how you can actually obtain tickets to the Neighborhood Ball? Do you have to be a resident of DC? My son & I are coming from Murfreesboro, TN & would love to have this opportunity to attend a ball that we could afford!
No details have been announced yet. Gotta be soon, there’s only 10 days til the big day. Check back, I’ll post the info as it is announced.
If any of your readers are looking for hotel rooms for the inauguration week-end, my company BlackHistorytours.com have rooms available at The Gaylord National.
log on to www.blackhistorytours.com
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Call-305-548-3262
My husbabd and I are retired educators…coming across the country from Reno, Nevada. Our income is small but our hopes are big…we would love to go to a Neighborhood Ball for the common people…we have neither the money nor the black tie…but we truly worked hard to help Nevada go BLUE! Quite amazing! How can we get tickets????
I will post the details here and republish the blog on my homepage with details when it’s been announced. With only 8 days to go, it should be soon. See my homepage at http://dc.about.com.
any update yet on this event?
Just trying to find tickets for the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball
How can we get tickets to this event?
As of Tuesday at 2 pm, no new information. Sorry!
I live in DC and I still haven’t heard where to get tickets.
My 12 yr old son & I are coming from NYC on the bus to see the parade & any other event that we can manage to go to. We are doing this instead of a birthday party & presents. His birthday is the 26th. We would love to go! I just hope it isn’t like the parade tickets. I got my email from his official website & tried to get our tickets for the parade….I need the tickets for the disabled area. When I tried to purchase them, I got an email confirming my request then 2 emails telling me to call ticket master directly. They do not sell the disabled tickets through the site. I did & was told by a voicemail greeting to leave a message & my call would be returned. No call yet! & I made my request for tickets just past 1pm, when it was supposed to be open to do so. No matter what we are coming to Washington, D.C. We moved here (NYC) from WA State & I’m not going to let the opportunity slide by when we are this close! My son has been so excited for President Obama throughout the whole election process. He helped campaign with me for him,he went with me when I voted & he went with me to the Manhatten Headquarters to make phone calls on Election Day & felt just as proud as I did that he was involved in helping Senator Obama become our 44th President. I’m on SSI-disability & there’s no way I can afford to pay much if anything to go. All our $ so far is going to busfare, transit & the parade tickets. $677 a month..$450 a month for rent & I still have to cover out monthly living expenses. You do the math.
We have tickets for the inaugration question will there be toilets in the ticket area? We know there will be some in the mall area but heard there will not be any facilities in the ticket area. Help we need to prepare for a five hour stand.
Crystal and Devan - Sorry that you are having such a hard time. The demand for these events has been overwhelming. I hope you will be able to participate in someway. Good Luck!
Phyllistine - Portable restrooms are located throughout the U.S. Capitol grounds.
I live in Northern VA and would like to attend the Neighborhood Ball or any other of the balls. Are tickets still available?
No details have been announced yet about tickets for the neighborhood ball. There are still tickets available for many of the unofficial balls. For information, see http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/inauguralballs.htm
Phyllstine, I was just there for the Full Rehearsal, and I did not see any bathrooms by the bleachers. They were all on the Mall.
I’m still waiting to see when the Neighborhood Ball tickets becomes available but, as a longshot, do you how an average person might be able to get official Youth Ball tickets?
My sister and I would love to be at the neighborhood ball. Coming from Alaska and New Jersey, and we are ready to party.
What is the dress code for the Neighborhood Ball?
I have updated this page with information about tickets.
The dress code has not been mentioned, but most balls are black tie. I would imagine that less formal attire would be acceptable at the neighborhood ball, but most people will be pretty well dressed.
Hello. Thanks for your site. I am irritated. When will people (regular, hardworking) be able to attend a ball. The Neighborhood Ball Tickets are out and we don’t have any idea let alone a chance to get one. This is the same ole’ same ole. After 8 years of Bush I am angry. Obama’s campaign offered me hope. This is frustrating…bc it seems we are still out of the loop.
I helped get him elected..and more than that I have always voted not just ‘this time’. So,
How can “We” get a ticket to the Neighborhood Ball at a cost we can afford?? Thanks…
I am disappointed in it all….at this point.
I understand your frustration. The inaugural committee should not have portrayed this as an event that anyone could attend. There are still some unofficial balls that have tickets. Most are at high prices, but there are a few that are more reasonable. You might take a look here if you really want to attend a ball. Scroll down below the official ones: http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/inauguralballs.htm
Do you which organizations received the tickets? It’s not posted on their website. Hopefully those organizations will provide tickets to DC residents as it had been billed. As they say, “It’s all about who you know!”
It’s no longer targeted towards DC residents, rather to DC Metro Area residents according to the latest press release. Big difference especially to us Washingtonians.
I have 2 rooms available for 3 nights in Fairfax, VA $800 for all 3 nights. email me at pml_francis@yahoo.com if interested…
On another note, It is hard to plan an itinerary when you don’t have ant real hope of getting a ticket to an event. I guess you are supposed to just wander around aimlessly…hopefully they’ll be some who will make their own celebration that is REALLY FREE and OPEN to the public
any new info?
I live in the Baltimore area and haven’t heard about where to get the tickets. Does anyone know when this information will be released?
I emailed the senator as well, I really would like to go to this lol
PAM (pml_francis@yahoo.com)
You are behaving like a rude and ignorant individual! Do you see us on this site looking to find informaiton about the various balls and events and you are simply trying to get paid????!!!!
How insensitive and ill mannered!
Teejay and Lauren - Please read the update about tickets on the page above.
I am an Illinois resident traveling to DC this weekend to attend the inauguration. The site that you are referencing list the Obama Home States Ball tickets for $150. How do I get these tickets?
Hello,
“A portion of tickets for this event will be set aside for DC residents.” This is from the review and explanation of the Neighborhood Ball.
Who will receive the other tickets that were not set aside for DC residents?
I thought there was a possibility that other grass root individuals would have a chance to receive a ticket to this Neighborhood Ball.
If this is a possibility please let me know how. I am from Washington state and would certainly like a chance at receiving tickets for this event. I am a retired Senior Citizens excited about all of the events around inauguration. I have saved enough money to arrive in DC. God’s blessings over all of the activities. CM
These balls include ordinary citizens who were invited because of their affiliation with specific organizations.
I am very disappointed in the way the tickets were distributed for the neighborhood ball. It seems again Mayor Fenty is taking care of the elite and the middle class ordinary citizen again suffers.
Let this be the end of the Fenty dictatorship.
I will be attending the Neighborhood Ball with my fiance. I wanted to give a little insight into how people who actually got tickets were able to get them. My fiance *is* a “regular, hardworking” person — he is currently looking for a job and I am in grad school. We are not rich, nor do we know that many people who are. My fiance did not have any connections, he was just an ordinary staff volunteer during the election campaign. He got an email from the campaign in early December saying that everyone who was interested could put their names on the list for Inauguration tickets. So we did, never thinking in a million years that we would get to go.
I believe as tickets became available to the campaign they either randomly selected people from the database or they went down the list of interested parties in the order they were submitted and offered them up. We got our notice just two weeks ago. To our surprise when we registered online for our tickets we had the option of purchasing Neighborhood Ball tickets as well. (No, they were not free, but the tickets were $25 apiece — much less than the other balls.) It was completely unexpected on our part.
On a side note, we also tried contacting our senator and also our representative to get tickets through them — the week after the election — and their waiting list was over 200 people long. Senators are allotted a large number of tickets for the Inauguration itself, but it is up to their discretion how they distribute them. If you are in a heavily populated or Democratic district, you will have a lot of competition for those tickets because everyone is doing the same thing you are! Your best bet is to contact your nearest Senator or Representative of the losing party — usually they are not as interested in going (strangely enough!) and are more likely to have extra tickets to give away. So call your Republicans!
We were incredibly lucky to stumble upon this opportunity and we realize that. But please do not think that this event is as discriminatory as some are making it out to be. I truly wish that EVERYONE who supported Obama would be able to attend the ball, but the truth is there is not a convention center in the world that could contain that many people! I think they have done their best to make it as democratic and representative a process as possible — we are proof of that — but with the number of people who want to come it is inevitable that some will get turned away. Regardless, I hope people can remember that whether or not we can attend this inauguration is not the important thing — the important thing is the fact that it’s HAPPENING. And that is something everyone, everywhere, will enjoy. Happy celebrating!
I will agree that it is important that it ‘is’ happening…but let there be no mistake about it…attending the Neighborhood Ball IS also the important thing. I volunteered unofficially to get Obama elected…but there was no hat for me to put my name in. “Official” volunteers are to be commended..all of us are..
I do think they’ve done better than most. But, I wanted to go to a Ball that was reasonable for allllll the work and commitment I offered to this presidency. And, so it was favored as to how and who the tickets were issued to. We should have been able to contact the Convention Center or some other direct agency so that we would have been able to equally get a ticket.
May your evening be a one of utter enjoyment…
I just feel throughout this process that we (regular) people are still Not connected; not in the right place. And that just seems piss poor.
hey people did you read the article?
The neighbourhood ball is ONLY for Washington DC residents….tickets have already been distributed to local community organizations etc.
Carol A., I can’t speak for how the rest of the tickets were distributed, but we are not D.C. residents and we received tickets.
Ann, thanks for your well wishes and all your hard work on the campaign. I too wish there was a truly democratic way to do this.
Given the amount of response and interest in this event, wouldn’t it have been easier to have 2 or more Neighborhood Balls. Solutions equal change. We are one collective neighborhood. What is the percentage of people who are seeking to attend this event versus the number who received tickets? Everyone wants a ticket to the dance….
H,
I saw your comment 2 days ago and have been thinking about it the entire time. While I appreciate your explanation, I am fumed. I am a DC resident and also an Obama supporter from the beginning. I,like every other “everyman” esp. in DC, are being totally shut out of what was supposed to be the one ball for us. It was Obama’s idea and it was supposed to be for his new neighbors - not someone in town for 1 night. I live on Capitol Hill and the incovenience about parking, noise, road closures, is a pain, but if we were recognized, at the very least, we could deal.
I know our city councilman and even his office said that the PIC was not at all informative for the DC city councils and their constitutents regarding these balls, and the neighborhood ball in particular. 1,000 tix went to a favored few local orgs whose directors decided how to hand the tix out - and people are selling these tix they got free for $2000/per ticket!
So, where are the other 4,000 - they went to people like you who ALREADY HAD TICKETS TO ANOTHER OFFICIAL BALL. This, in my opinion, is adding insult to injury. Why should you be allowed to purchase tix to another ball when you were already selected to attend another official ball - you can’t be in two places at once.
This is just so unfair. And, while I realize you yourself are not the “decider”, I hope that Obama staff and close advisors are reading these blogs and watching Craigslist and ticket agencies, as the scamming and complete rip-offs is rampant and not what was intended. The PIC itself has handled everything HORRIBLY. Completely non-transparent.
Obama should hold a “Housewarming Party” for real DC residents after all of the official events are tourists are long gone…
S,
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your thoughts. However, I feel I should clarify that we were not in fact invited to two balls; the only ball invitation we received was to the Neighborhood Ball. Perhaps the confusion was mine in reading your response, but I wanted to clarify any misunderstanding.
I think there has been a lot of confusion as to the intended spirit of the Neighborhood Ball, which has left a lot of people disappointed in the outcome. As I said, I too wish that this had been handled better. Hopefully the campaign will learn from this experience and try a different, more inclusive approach next time. Best wishes,
H
What events are the kids from Ron Clark School in Atlanta performing. Will they perform at the Neighborhood Ball which will be televised.
Thanks
I dont give a damn about het dress or their pary..I just want a job….100 mill just because hes a black prez and therir parties, bad taste! I thought we were beyond color
I agree with a lot of the commenters about the fairness of these balls. It seems that unless you are a part of an elite group of people with money to burn, you are pretty much left out. President Obama founded his campaign and election on grassroots, everyday citizens, so what happened to us during the planning of these events? I came all the way from California to DC for the inaugural events and would have loved to have gone to the Neighborhood Ball, or any other ball that was affordable.
Hey, did anyone else who bought tickets after Jan 12th not be able to get in because the Will Call system screwed up? The PIC2009.org website told us to call a number to get Will Call info, which the voicemail on the number said all ticket information is on their website. Argh! We were 8 nice people, all dressed up, stuck out in the cold.. and there were dozens of other people clutching their email confirmations while shivering.
I’m out $250. No response from PIC. Anyone else have the same problem?
That is lousy. I would contact whatever organization issued you the ticket to try to get a refund. The PIC is probably overwhelmed with resolving a lot of issues.
Other than the home state balls, will organizations such as the “Neighborhood Ball” serve as host should President Obama seek a second term?