Inauguration Day: Here’s what’s happening, from the ceremony to a prime-time program

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in at noon today. But there’s much more to their swearing in than one ceremony.

Inauguration Day events will begin at 11 a.m., with Biden taking the oath of office at noon. This newspaper will livestream the event online, and it will be streamed online at bideninaugural.org/watch and on major TV networks. The events also will be streamed on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.

Lady Gaga, Garth Brooks and Jennifer Lopez are among those who are expected to perform at the ceremony.

A graduate of Wilberforce University, the Rev. Silvester Beaman, who is a pastor at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, will deliver the benediction.

Event organizers also are planning a livestream specifically for young Americans. The livestream, beginning at 10 a.m., will feature a message from Jill Biden, commentary from historians and a segment on presidential pets hosted by Nickelodeon. The stream will be hosted by Keke Palmer.

At 2 p.m., coverage will begin for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Bidens, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will participate in the ceremony. They will be joined by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, President George W. Bush and Laura Bush, and President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton, Biden’s inaugural website reported.

At 3 p.m., Biden will receive a presidential escort from 15th Street to the White House with every branch of the military represented in the escort, including The U.S. Army Band, a Joint Service Honor Guard, and the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard and Fife and Drum Corps from the 3rd U.S. Infantry “The Old Guard.” The escort will be followed by a “Parade Across America,” which will feature virtual performances from across the country.

The Kenton Ridge High School Marching Band is one of five high schools across the nation that will be a virtual participant in the Inauguration Day Parade, according to a release from the Clark County school district.

At 8:30 p.m., Tom Hanks will host a 90-minute special called “Celebrating America.” The program will feature remarks from Biden and Harris, and it will include performances and remarks that will represent the diversity and talent Americans offer.

Springfield’s John Legend, Ant Clemons, Jon Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Eva Longoria, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Kerry Washington will perform, the inauguration website reported.

Inauguration events began as early as Saturday, when the committee hosted a welcome event that celebrated those who are “changemakers” in the country. The program featured celebrity appearances, musical performances and remarks from popular leaders around the country. The committee hosted a virtual inaugural concert on Sunday, a National Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a memorial on Tuesday for those killed by COVID-19.

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