What to Know About the Inaugural Balls
President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their wives will attend three events
Three official inaugural balls are being held. Two of the balls, Liberty and Freedom: The Official Presidential Inaugural Balls, will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The third, a Salute To Our Armed Services Ball, will take place at the National Building Museum. All three balls begin at 7 p.m. E.T.
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inRead invented by TeadsThe first two balls are open to the public.
Tickets to the Liberty and Freedom Balls are $50 per person. The Salute
To Our Armed Services Ball is by invitation only, with tickets provided
free of charge.
The official inaugural balls will feature a number of entertainers. Sam Moore,
For First Ladies, the inaugural balls are a time to formally introduce themselves to America. Their sartorial choices reflect their personal values and have in the past set a precedent for what their husbands’ administrations will come to represent. For both of former President Barack Obama’s inaugurations, First Lady Michelle Obama chose Jason Wu, an openly gay designer who was born in Taiwan, for the gown she wore. The two rumored names in the running for Melania Trump are Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren. Check out some of the most memorable inaugural gowns here.
The number of inaugural events that presidents attend — and their cachet outside of Washington — has grown over the years. The first inauguration to have two balls was for Andrew Jackson in 1833. By the time John F. Kennedy was sworn into office in 1963, the balls had attracted Hollywood elite, like Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Obama attended three balls after his second inauguration like Trump will on Friday, but he attended more after his first inauguration in 2009.
Several other balls are scheduled for the evening. Although Trump and Pence are attending three balls, a number of events are scheduled in Washington on Friday night. Among others, Planned Parenthood will host its Pink Ball at the Carol Whitehill Moses Center, while the 1920s-themed The Great Gatsby Presidential Inaugural Ball will take place at the National Portrait Gallery.
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