Community Corner

Presidential Inauguration 2013: Official and Unofficial Balls

If you haven't been invited to an official ball, there are plenty of other inaugural balls you can attend.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend just two official inaugural balls — the Commander-In-Chief’s Ball for members of the U.S. military and the Inaugural Ball.

Both official balls are at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The ticketing period for both events has closed.

But, if you still want to get dressed up and dance the night away, there are a number of “unofficial” Inaugural Balls—ones that are sponsored by state parties or societies, non-profit organizations or other groups. While there won’t be a presidential visit, they can be a lot of fun.

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The Virginia Inaugural Ball is sponsored by the Democratic Party of Virginia and the Arlington County Democratic Committee. It will from 7 – 11 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20 at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel. Tickets are $250 per person. Ticket information for the Virginia Inaugural Ball is available here.

The Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia is hosting a “47 Percent Inaugural Ball” on Saturday, Jan. 19.  Ticket information for this ball is available here.

Find out what's happening in Woodbridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Looking for the official ball from your home state? Huffington Post has a guide to the inaugural balls here. You may also check out this inaugural ball guide from about.com.

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