How to Get Tickets for the January 2009 Inauguration

In regards to the January 20, 2009 Presidential Inauguration (flight tickets are inexpensive if you book now via Southwest Airlines). Regardless of what you may have heard, tickets are FREE to the public! All you have to do is contact your Congressional representative to put your name on the list to receive tickets. Several companies and websites claim to have tickets for sale, and several have sold tickets for hundreds to thousands of dollars, please DON'T purchase any tickets!! Tickets are distributed only 1 week in advance of the inauguration and must be picked up in person in Washington D.C. 240,000 tickets are available for distribution by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Refer to this following Chicago Tribune news article for more information, "Calls for inauguration tickets through the roof". This blogger believes that there will be over 1 million attendees at the inauguration, and this will be an event not dissimilar in its significance to the Million Man March of 1995 which saw over 1 million African-American men descend upon Washington, DC for a historic occasion. This time though, the attendance will be highly diverse with all races and nationalities represented.

For those living in Hillsborough County, FL - your Congress person is Kathy Castor, her phone number is 202-225-3376. You may also sign up at the JCIC's website for e-mail updates and inaugural events at http://inaugural.senate.gov/. The theme will be “A New Birth of Freedom” and refers to President Abraham' Lincoln's historic Presidency. Already at least one inaugural Ball, the Hawaii State Society Inaugural Ball at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel ($200-per-person tickets) is sold out, but of course there are multiple balls during this festive week. Also those who want to be involved in the parade, whether singers, artists, marching bands, etc. have to submit a request to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC) at http://www.afic.northcom.mil.