It may never again be this easy to sip cocktails in Washington while rubbing elbows with VIPs and celebrities — as long as you’re on one of the many lists that doormen will be keeping at area clubs, hotels and event venues this weekend.
There will be nearly 170 inaugural-related events between tonight and Tuesday night.
Things get started this evening, with two major soirees on either end of town. At Love nightclub in Northeast D.C., Jay-Z headlines the first of many star-studded nights (Diddy, T.I., Young Jeezy and Common are also slated to perform over the long weekend).
Meanwhile, Georgetown impresario Franco Nuschese hosts a celebration at his Cafe Milano restaurant, the first of many events there, including a Monday night gala with the newly founded Artists & Athletes Alliance. Expected are the likes of Tobey Maguire, Hunter Biden and the Redskins’ Shawn Springs.
On Saturday, BET holds its second annual BET Honors at the Warner Theater, which is bringing in Mary J. Blige, Magic Johnson and Tyler Perry, among others. For something a bit more relaxed, Yo-Yo Ma headlines a party for the New Republic at the Harman Center for the Arts.
Things kick off early on Sunday, as entertainers like Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp perform at the Inaugural Committee welcome event at the Lincoln Memorial. At night, one of the hottest tickets will be the Voto Latino party at Union Station, featuring Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama and Marc Anthony.
It may be hard to choose from the buffet of events on Tuesday, which is when many of the state societies — Illinois, Florida and Kentucky among them — are throwing their parties. There won’t be a Texan in the White House anymore, but the Texas State Society’s Black Tie and Boots Ball, at National Harbor, has sold 11,000 tickets. Meanwhile, the Hip Hop Summit features Russell Simmons and L.L. Cool J at the Harman Center, Luke Russert hosts a party at Rookery and the Huffington Post takes over the Newseum.
Once we have a new president on Tuesday night, the “official” balls are the top ticket (because Obama is expected to stop by most, if not all, of them). The Neighborhood Ball at the Convention Center, the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the National Building Museum and the Home States Ball at the Convention Center are the most envied tickets.
The Hawaii State Society is promising an authentic Hawaiian bash at the Mandarin Oriental. The Youth Ball at the Washington Hilton is geared toward 18- to 35-year-olds, and features entertainment by Kanye West and Fall Out Boy.
