Events

Sunday January 17	10:00 am	The Mall.  America's Reunion On The Mall.
	3:00 pm	Lincoln Memorial.  Call for Reunion - A Musical Celebration.
	6:00 pm	Memorial Bridge and Lady Bird Johnson Circle.  Bells for Hope.
	6:15 pm	The Potomac River.  Fireworks Display.
Monday January 18	10:00 am	The Mall.  America's Reunion On The Mall.
	7:30 pm	The Capital Centre.  The American Gala.
Tuesday January 19	1:30 pm 3:30 pm	Kennedy Center.  Salute to Children. Kennedy Center.  Salute to Youth.
Wednesday January 20	11:30 am	United States Capitol.  Inaugural Ceremony.
	2:00 pm	Capitol to the White House -- Pennsylvania Ave.  Presidential Inaugural Parade.
Thursday January 21	9:00 am until noon	The White House.  A Presidential Open House.

In addition to the public events, the President-elect's schedule included closed / official events such as:
Diplomatic Reception.  Monday 9:00 am
A private reception at Georgetown University.

Faces of Hope.  Monday 12:00 pm
In a luncheon at the Folger Library, President-elect and Mrs. Clinton and Vice president-elect and Mrs. Gore met with 53 of the people whose lives and stories touched them during the campaign.

Governors' Luncheon.  Tuesday 11:30 am
Over 150 current, incoming and former governors were invited to attend this event in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress.


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America's Reunion on the Mall.  Sunday and Monday from 10 am to 4 pm.
An outdoor festival which included regional food, music, crafts and a celebration of America's cultural diversity, America's Reunion on the Mall drew an estimated 300,000 people on the first day.  320,000 square feet of heated tents covered 50-60 food vendors, 30-plus craftsmen and more than 60 acts comprising 400 entertainers.  Bands representing rhythm and blues, gospel, folk, regional/ethnic, blues, rock, country-western, Latin, Broadway and jazz traditions performed under four giant tents.  For dessert, people could indulge in "America's Inaugural Birthday Cake," a one-ton red, white and blue cheesecake provided by Eli's Cheesecake of Chicago.  A "What are your Dreams for America" wall, on which people could post notes to the incoming president, also proved quite successful.


A Call For Reunion.  Sunday 3:00 pm
The official start of Inaugural activities was "A Call for Reunion," a "star-studded spectacle at the Lincoln Memorial" with a concert and fireworks. 

Clinton arrived on a bus from Monticello. The Clintons and the Gores had begun Sunday morning with a tour of Thomas Jefferson's home and a meeting with students.  They then travelled to Washington by bus through the Virginia countryside.  Among the stops along the way was a morning church service at Culpeper Baptist Church in Culpeper, VA.  PIC Co-Executive Director Mel French stated that the Monticello route "demonstrated Bill Clinton's commitment to honoring the history of the presidency, the meaning of democracy, and the importance of staying in touch with those who elected him."

Quincy Jones organized "A Call for Reunion."  Among the musicians who performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial were Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin and Michael Bolton; a military flyover added further excitement.  The event drew some criticism because the Inaugural Committee had granted HBO exclusive broadcast rights to entertainment portions of the event.


Bells For Hope.  Sunday 6:00 pm
President-elect Clinton and Vice President-elect Gore and their families led a candlelight procession across the Memorial Bridge to Lady Bird Johnson Circle, where they rang a replica of the Liberty Bell.  Simultaneously, people at hundreds of churches, schools and public sites across the country joined in the bell ringing.  PIC co-chairman Harry Thomason stated, "In one powerful and unifying moment, all Americans can send a message that we are one country dedicated to the principles of national unity, common purpose and equality of opportunity."


American Gala.  Monday 7:30 pm
American Gala was a dress rehearsal for the Presidential Gala on Tuesday evening.  The event was free to those with tickets, although people were asked to bring a can of food for the homeless.


Presidential Gala.  Tuesday 7:00 pm
A star-studded spectacle of musicians and actors and actresses, the Presidential Gala was televised by CBS.  The Inaugural Committee sought major corporate sponsors for the Gala; money from the underwriters' advertising and from ticket sales helped to fund free events.