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Presidential Inauguration Festivities Open in US
Festivities leading to the inauguration of US President-elect George W. Bush opened Thursday at the mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial with a celebratory show.
The show was attended by a lot of stars like boxing legend Muhammad Ali, British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, opera singer Charlotte Church and Latin Singer Jon Secada. The program finale was a 10-minute fireworks show launched from five sites around the mall.
Bush, who is going to be sworn in on Saturday, attended the two- and-half-hour opening celebration together with his wife Laura Bush as well as Vice President-elect Dick Cheney and his wife.
On Thursday evening, Bush and Cheney will appear at three fund- raising candlelight dinners for Republican supporters who could afford 2,500 U.S. dollars per ticket or 25,000 dollars per table.
On Friday, Laura Bush was to make her Washington debut at a celebration for America's authors. Cheney was scheduled to host a salute to the nation's veterans. President-elect Bush was to attend both functions.
Later that evening, several inaugural galas were scheduled to celebrate Bush's victory in the presidential election.
The swearing-in of the 43rd U.S. president will take place on the west front of the capitol, followed by a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, with 37 marching bands from high schools and colleges nationwide, plus six military bands.
The event is expected to begin about 11:35 a.m. local time, with the actual swearing-in taking place between 12 to 12:30 p.m.
About 500,000 people were expected to attend, including 1,000 dignitaries, among them members of Congress, the Supreme Court and the diplomatic corps.
On Sunday, as president of the United States, Bush was to open the White House doors to public tours.
The theme for this presidential inauguration is "Celebrating America's Spirit Together."
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