Nothing will compare to the buzz in the air during the 2009 presidential inauguration, and frankly, the swearing-in of a sitting president entering his second term is never as big a deal. But this is a company town, and politics is the business.

While there are plenty of balls and galas requiring black-tie dress and a trillion-dollar coin to get in, there are other ways to get in on the fun. Here are some suggestions for inaugural fun in 2013: