Inauguration Schedule – Events of January 20th

When Is Barack Obama Swearing In? Timeline – Address, Parade, Balls

Jan 18, 2009
Lena Gott

Inaugural Address: Afternoon of January 20, 2009 - Barack Obama Campaign Website

Learn when Barack Obama is swearing & the order of events on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009. Inaugural schedule includes address, luncheon, parade, balls.

From the First Nail Ceremony to the Inaugural Balls, the Inauguration of Barack Obama will be filled with high pomp and circumstance. Below is a glimpse at the overall schedule of activities that began in September 2008 and will culminate on January 20, 2009.

Inauguration Day Schedule: Timeline From September 24, 2008 – January 19, 2009

The First Nail Ceremony – September 24, 2008. Senator Dianne Feinstein and others symbolically hammered the first nail into a plank to signify the first step toward building the platform upon which Barack Obama will be sworn in.
Welcome Event – According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) website, Barack Obama will hold a public welcome event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18, 2009.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Although it is not officially part of the inauguration process, the PIC placed this on the Inaugural Schedule. Many Obama supporters view MLK, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009, as a fitting jump-start to Barack Obama’s historical week.

Events of January 20, 2009: Swearing-In Ceremony, Presidential Address & Balls

If Obama follows in the footsteps of all other presidents since Franklin Roosevelt, he will attend a morning worship service the morning of January 20th. After that, the country should expect the following Inauguration schedule:

Procession to the Capitol – Members of the JCCIC will escort President-Elect Obama, the Vice-President-Elect, outgoing President Bush, and their families to the White House for a meeting, then all will proceed to the Capitol.
Swearing-In Ceremony – Aretha Franklin is scheduled to perform just before the swearing-in begins. Joe Biden will first be sworn is as Vice President. Barack Obama’s oath will follow around 12 p.m. A schedule posted on the PIC website details the lineup for the swearing-in ceremony, from who will be administering the oaths to the person slated to read a poem after the fact.
Inaugural Address – this is set to occur shortly after the 12 p.m. swearing-in ceremony.
Departure of the Outgoing President – According to the PIC website, President Obama will escort outgoing President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. Vice President Joe Biden will escort former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife from the Capitol. Weather permitting, the former President and First Lady will most likely leave the Capital via helicopter.
Inaugural Luncheon – This will be held in Statuary Hall at the Capitol.
Inaugural Parade – A parade to the White House down Pennsylvania Avenue is coordinated by the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.

Conclusion of Inauguration Day 2009 Schedule: Inaugural Balls

The day of festivity will conclude with several Inaugural Balls. A little known fact to many Americans is that there is not one single ball. President Kennedy attended five of them. Bill Clinton had a record fourteen official balls. President George W. Bush’s second inauguration was marked by nine balls. According to the Washington Post, Obama will attend 10 balls.

Want more information about Inauguration Day 2009? Read Inauguration Day 2009 – Date, Time, Tickets.