Inaugural events a very hot ticket (Free tickets required for swearing-in, inaugural parade)

It's the hottest ticket in town: The Black Tie & Boots Ball thrown Jan. 19 by the Texas State Society at the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel.

Some 5,000 tickets at $175 each sold out in 40 minutes for the 10,000-person event, officials said. Ironically, there may be few Texans guzzling champagne and boot-scootin' to Asleep at The Wheel, thanks to the sizzling scalping market.

And although the Internet has made purchasing legitimate tickets a breeze, it has also served as a black market for inaugural tickets — some of which are supposed to be free to the public, but are being snatched up by brokers eager to make a buck...

"The Internet has certainly made it better," said Joe Brown, president of Chicago-based Ticketheaven.com. "Four years ago, there were a lot less people who knew what was going on. And it's better this time around because Bush was really elected. It just makes it hotter."

What kind of crack is that? Talk about getting your dig (grudge) in. I swear, some people.

What is the deal with tickets to the inaugural parade? My local Congressman said that his office had nothing to do with parade tickets. I checked on the official inaugural website and it was less than helpful.

So, do you need a ticket to stand on the sidewalk as the parade goes by, or are tickets only required for the bleacher seating? How much space is available for the public to stand along the parade route?

If I chose to go to the FreeRepublic "American Sectors" do I need a ticket to get in there or is that free space?

Thanks.

I think that the tickets are needed along the parade route for bleacher seating only, as it was in 2001, per my recollection... it's a bit of an art to get from the swearing in to the parade route and have a good view... many of the spectators elect to attend one or the other, due to the maze of security and the fact that the crowds will have already staked out the good seats / views, unless, as in 2001, the weather is crappy, which will thin the crowd out somewhat...

I attended the swearing in of GWB in 2001 and without any prior knowledge embarked on finding a spot along the parade route... to no avail, with crappy weather I might add... walked all the way to 15th st., stood atop one of the huge planters that serve as a barricade behind the bleachers and could see the parade, in large measure because the 33 degree rainy weather had thinned the crowd out... there is definitely a learning curve with regards to covering / attending both events... the security fencing runs from (I think) Independence to Constitution across the street following the crosswalk and heads back to Independence... in other words you can't get across the street and you can't walk down the sidewalk along Constitution... it's a cul-de-sac at every side street cutting across the mall... there are plenty of side shows taking place along the parade route behind the scenes... enough to hold one's interest... one little known aspect is that there are huge phalanxes of law enforcement lined up in reserve, ready to crack some skulls... street theater, musicians auditioning for tourist donations, leftist vermin plotting their next move, etc...

Thanks for the reply. I sort of figured that it would be a task to take in both the swearing-in ceremony and get a good spot for the parade. However, based on your post, I might skip the parade and pull up a seat to watch the "authorities" crack some hippie's spirit. Thanks again for the heads up.

I just remembered that the DC freepers have at least one (maybe two?) spots along the parade route that you would be welcome at (you would be able to integrate with the crowd already established along the route, unlike elsewhere)

I believe Kristinn has dubbed the area; 'The American Sector'. I think it is near 6th st. and Pennsylvania or 6th st. and Constitution (not sure whether 6th st. intersects Pennsylvania).

FWIW If you attend the swearing in on the capitol lawn, you have nothing to lose in attempting to find a spot along the route (it will be a challenge IMHO).

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