PHOTOS: The best moments of the WHCD red carpet

“There certainly was an uptick in the kind of glamour intensity in the first years of the Obama administration. There was a lot of excitement in Hollywood about it, but I wouldn’t want to under-sell President Bush’s ability to give a really funny and engaging speech,” People Magazine editor J.D. Heyman told C-SPAN, who covered the event.

Approximately 2,700 guests made their way through the lobby, with celebrities and politicians alike stopping to pose for photographers and television cameras.

The event, founded in 1914, started out as an all-white, all-male, off-the-record event for Oval Office correspondents.

It has evolved into a mash-up of political pundits, party leaders, White House insiders, movie stars and social media sensations, all fighting for their five seconds on the red carpet. All guests, including lawmakers and White House staffers, can only attend at the invitation of a press corps member or media outlet.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul traipsed in with his wife while Secretary of State John Kerry was joined by his wife and two daughters. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest also attended.

Omarosa Manigault, a three-time contestant on NBC’s Apprentice now working on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, posed on the carpet. Eric and Donald Trump, Jr., the sons of Trump, passed through the entrance quickly only to be stopped by cable TV networks for interviews. Inside Eric Trump and his wife Lara Yunaska posed for a picture with prominent Democrat Donna Brazile and exchanged cordial greetings with Hillary Clinton campaign boss John Podesta, White House spokesman Josh Earnest, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and Clinton communications chief Jennifer Palmieri.

The cast of ABC’s “Scandal” showed up, as is standard for the show’s actors. Michael Kelly of Netflix’s “House of Cards” walked the carpet and ran over to Rev. Al Sharpton for a conversation and photo. Sharpton wore a blue tuxedo, which the commentators questioned as a new statement piece or outgoing fad.

English actress Helen Mirren donned a purple gown and a Prince tattoo on her chest, a tribute to the late musician. She was accompanied by her husband, Taylor Hackford.

Presidential guests Will and Jada Smith were mobbed by attendees who wanted selfies when they walked in the building. The duo tried to skip the red carpet, but were redirected to the photo set-up where photographers lost it and cheered for the couple.

Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett wore a simple black dress and grazed past photographers. She ran over to hug CBS co-anchor Gayle King, a good friend of Chicago resident and billionaire Oprah Winfrey.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, WWE star John Cena, Connie Britton of ABC’s “Nashville,” Damien Louis of Showtime’s “Billions,” Jaimie Alexander from ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” all passed through, a number of whom attended pre-parties in Washington Friday night.

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington brought Instagram sensation The Fat Jew as her guest.

Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and NBC reporters Savannah Guthrie, Tamron Hall and Andrea Mitchell waltzed through, stopping for photos, but no interviews.

Before heading into the 30,000-square-foot ballroom, many guests stop in at company-sponsored cocktail parties within the hotel. Inside the belly of the hotel, the 23,000-square-foot kitchen has finished preparing the dinner and waiters will soon deliver it to a couple thousand guests.

Many of the attendees will hit after-parties following the dinner. There are more than 25 such events scheduled over the weekend.