10 official inaugural balls scheduled for January 20

The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) will be hosting 10 "official balls" on the night of January 20, sources said this week.

These ten "official" are the only parties where Barack Obama, Joe Biden and their wives are guaranteed to appear, albeit for a quick wave and onstage dance.

Six of the balls will be held at the glamorous, escalator-studded Washington Convention Center. The other four will be at the National Building Museum, Union Station, the Washington Hilton Hotel and the D.C. Armory.

Sources tell The Examiner that the Tuesday night balls will be organized by region, so everyone from, say, all the Southwest will be placed in the same ballroom. No word yet which states will be placed at which venues -- every ball will likely be crammed to the rafters.  

There's still no word as to what an individual needs to do to get an invitation or how much a ticket will cost.  We do know that the maximum contribution that the Presidential Inauguration Commission will accept is $50,000, which will get you four tickets to the swearing-in and the inaugural parade, a ticket to one ball and admission to one other PIC event.

There will be a variety of other “unofficial” balls at which members of the Obama and Biden families may make an appearance, such as the Illinois State Society Ball on January 19.  High profile politicos will also make appearances at a variety of events and balls throughout the week, such as former Vice President Al Gore’s appearance at a “green ball.”

The most balls ever attended by a president in one night was 14, a record set by Bill Clinton in 1997.

The New York State Society will host an inaugural brunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on January 20.

While an informed source has told this reporter that New York is planning to host a ball, a spokesperson for the New York State Democratic Committee said that no plans have been made.