2013 Presidential Inauguration Day Event Guide

Monday, January 21st is the 57th US Presidential Inauguration and a Federal Holiday to boot – the day that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden(Delaware’s own) will be sworn in to begin their second term in office. Below are event details and more for the Swearing-in Ceremony and the Inaugural Parade and Balls. The parade includes LOCAL Delaware flare with participation including a custom designed float representing the State of Delaware and group participation by the Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe from Hockessin, Delaware. Read on…

There’s an APP for that!

Catch the events via the Official App Complete with a Live-streaming. The Inaugural Committee released the first official Inaugural 2013 app, the first-ever app dedicated entirely to a Presidential inauguration. For those who wish to track the day’s events as they unfold from afar, the app will even feature a livestream of the swearing-in. So you won’t miss a moment of the 57th Presidential Inauguration. You can get a front row seat at the ceremonial swearing-in with the app’s built-in live stream, find events, and stay connected. No matter where you are, you can join President Obama and Vice President Biden in being a part of US history. It’s available for download for both iOS and Android.

Inauguration Swearing-in Ceremony*

Monday, January 21st, beginning around 11:30 a.m. – The oath of office will be administered on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Following the oath of office, the President will give his inaugural address, setting out his vision for America and goals for the nation. The inaugural theme, “Faith in America’s Future” commemorates the United States’ perseverance and unity and marks the sesquicentennial year of the placement of the Statue of Freedom atop the new Capitol Dome in 1863.

Participants in the Inaugural Swearing-in Ceremony*

Musical artists selected to perform include Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, and James Taylor. Beyoncé will sing the National Anthem, James Taylor will sing “America the Beautiful” and Kelly Clarkson will perform “My Country Tis of Thee.”
Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams will deliver the invocation at the inaugural swearing-in ceremony. Evers-Williams served as chair of the NAACP from 1995 to 1998. Widow of Medgar Evers – the NAACP’s Mississippi Field Secretary who in 1963 was gunned down in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi – she fought for 30 years to bring his assassin to justice, and preserves his legacy through the Medgar Evers Institute. An author of three books about their civil rights’ work, she currently serves as a distinguished scholar at Alcorn University in Lorman, Mississippi.
Richard Blanco will serve as the Inaugural poet at the swearing-in ceremony. Blanco will be the youngest-ever Inaugural poet and the first Hispanic or LGBT person to recite a poem at the swearing-in ceremony. Blanco’s career as an English-language Latino poet gained momentum when his first collection, City of a Hundred Fires, won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh. Blanco’s second book of poetry, Directions to The Beach of the Dead, won the PEN American Center Beyond Margins Award. His third collection, Looking for The Gulf Motel, was published in 2012.
Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts, Jr., will administer the oath of office for President Barack Obama
Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor will administer the oath of office for Vice President Joseph Biden.

Presidential Inauguration Parade*

January 21, 2013, 2:30 p.m. Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC. Viewing stands and bleachers will extend from 3rd to 17th Sts. The presidential inaugural parade includes members from all branches of the armed forces of the United States. Since 1789, the U.S. armed forces have participated in this important American tradition honoring our commander in chief. During the 10-day inaugural period from January 15 to January 24, 2013, armed forces personnel will provide ceremonial support with musical units, marching bands, color guards, salute batteries and honor cordons. Read more about the inaugural parade.

Inaugural Float Designs*

The parade will include eight custom-designed floats, four representing the First Family and Second Family’s home states, and four honoring the extraordinary progress we’ve made as a nation. Here are the details:

The Hawaii State Float – Hawaii is the birthplace of President Obama. The float features a large volcano modeled after the famous Diamond Head Volcano and a tribute to the late Senator Daniel Inouye.
The Illinois State Float – Illinois is the birthplace of First Lady Michelle Obama. The float features American flags, the state flag and a panorama of the Capitol.
The Pennsylvania State Float – Pennsylvania is the birthplace of Vice President Joe Biden. The float includes a replica of the Liberty Bell and the Pennsylvania State Seal.
The Delaware State Float – Delaware is the home state of Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The float includes a replica of State Capitol Bell Tower.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Float – The float’s design features an image of Dr. King and a representation of his quote “out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.”
The Civil Rights Movements Float – The Civil Rights float features images representing historic struggles of many of the civil rights movements in our country. The images represented include Immigration, Women’s, LGBT, Civil and Labor Rights. The float also includes Martin Luther King’s quote “The Arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.”
The Tuskegee Airmen Float – The float is a tribute to the brave young men who were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. The float features a model North American P-51 Mustang.
The Inaugural Theme, “Our People. Our Future.” Float – The American people are the focus of this float. Riding on the float are the citizen co-chairs for the National Day of Service.

Behind the Scenes: Building the Floats for the Inaugural Parade Video (:12 includes a quick view of the Delaware State Float – 8 ft X 24ft X 18ft)

DELAWARE Groups

Participating in the Inaugural Parade include DELAWARE’s Chinese American Community Center Folk Dance Troupe from Hockessin. The CACC Folk Dance Troupe was formed at the Chinese American Community Center (CACC) in Hockessin, DE in 1992.This CACC Folk Dance Troupe was formed with the purpose of bringing Chinese dance and culture to young Chinese Americans growing up in this area, along with sharing the beauty and richness of the Chinese culture, arts and heritage with the general public.

The teachers and choreographers are Chin-Sui Lee Choi 李清秀 and her daughter Stella. Mrs. Choi or Teacher Lee is the director of the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe in Fairfax, VA established in 1988. Our dance troupe’s Director is Debbie French. The dancers range from age 7 to senior high school from the tri-state area (DE, MD and PA). Practice is held weekly on Sunday afternoons at the CACC. Some …of the girls have been with the club for many years and some are new this year. The dance troupe has performed on various occasions at many special events including NYC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, London New Year’s Parade, the Smithsonian Institute in D.C., the Grand Opera House, the Playhouse Theatre, National Theatre (Washington D.C.) and the annual Chinese New Year’s Celebrations and Chinese Festivals at CACC. We have also performed at the annual Delaware Dance Festival, the Winterthur Museum, and Longwood Gardens and most recently at the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA and at First Night in Wilmington on New Year’s Eve. Visit them at www.CACCFolkDanceTroupe.org. Follow their progress on Facebook @CACC Folk Dance Troupe. YouTube Channel: www.YouTube.com/CACCDanceTroupe

Inauguration Balls*

Many inaugural balls and galas will take place at venues throughout Washington, DC in January 2013. The official balls are planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee and unofficial balls and parties are planned by the State Societies of Washington, DC and a variety of other organizations. See a guide to Inaugural Balls and Galas.

*Source: About.com http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/Presidential-Inauguration-2013-Washington-Dc.htm

TV COVERAGE

Sunday morning through Monday night and beyond – from dawn til dusk – you’ll most likely have a harder time avoiding it but if you want to catch all the events on your favorite network, here’s your TV Coverage guide.