Inauguration Breakfast: What you need to know
Thunder Grill, Union Station, January 20
8:00 – 11:00 AM
Thunder Grill
Union Station
(Stop on the Metro red line)
50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
We are looking forward to sharing this historic Inaugural morning with you and our newly elected members of Congress at Union Station, one of the best sites to view the US Capitol.
There have been many warnings about the difficulty of travel in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day. It is important to be aware of all official information.
Our invited Senators and House members will be able to pass gates and travel more easily, but most will need to arrive at our event, greet and speak EARLY, likely between 8:00-9:30 am. If you want to hear them, plan to arrive early.
The following are suggestions for getting to Thunder Grill and around Washington:
1. Under no circumstances should you drive. Much of downtown DC is blocked off for the duration of the inauguration and the parade. Most of the bridges from Virginia and many from Maryland will be closed to vehicular traffic.
2. Walking is the best bet if you are staying close to Union Station.
3. Metro is the next best bet, but it will be busy as well and still may be difficult. Some practical Metro suggestions:
- Get on the Metro early. It opens at 4:00 AM - getting on by 6:30 AM is probably a good idea to arrive by 8:00 AM.
- If the Metro is really jammed at in-town stops and it is impossible to get on the Metro because of the crowds, take Metro in the opposite direction that you want to go - out of town - to the end of the line. At the end of the line, where Metro trains start, it will be easier to get on Metro cars, which will be empty or at least emptier as they enter town. (This has worked during major snow storms in the past.)
Find additional information on Metro here.
4. Metro is running 23 special rapid bus corridors to carry thousands of people heading to the National Mall on Inauguration Day. Find more information on the special bus corridors here.
5. If you are going to attend the inauguration ceremony itself, security checkpoints will open for ticketed guests at 8:00 AM and the musical prelude begins at 10:00AM. The inauguration committee advises arriving no later than 9:00AM. Many items will be prohibited for those attending inauguration activities, including backpacks, umbrellas, signs, and thermoses. Find the complete list of prohibited items here.
6. For Thunder Grill guests, you are welcome to stay in a warm and dry location and watch the inaugural festivities on large-screen televisions. After the breakfast and the speakers, there will be a light lunch (provided) and a cash bar until 1:00 PM.
Inauguration schedule:
4 a.m. -- Metro opens (at rush-hour service and fare levels).
8 a.m. -- Security gates open for ticketed guests.
9 a.m. -- Ceremony gates open.
10 a.m. -- Musical prelude.
11:30 a.m. – Formal inaugural program begins.
Noon -- Inaugural address, luncheon for the President and Members of Congress, departure of President Bush and parade.
2:30 – Inaugural parade begins.
7 p.m. -- Rush-hour Metro service levels end.
2 a.m. -- Metro closes.
More specifics on the inauguration:
Musical Selections
The United States Marine Band
Musical Selections
The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Invocation
Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA
Musical Selection
Aretha Franklin
Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
By Associate Justice of the Supreme Court The Honorable John Paul Stevens
Musical Selection
John Williams, composer/arranger
- Itzhak Perlman, Violin
- Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
- Gabriela Montero, Piano
- Anthony McGill, Clarinet
Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama
By the Chief Justice of the United States The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
Inaugural Address
The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama
Poem
Elizabeth Alexander
Benediction
The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
The National Anthem
The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"
