Inauguration Week events underway at State Capitol
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Traffic and parking restrictions continue through Friday, Jan. 17.
Inauguration Day is Wednesday, Jan. 15, and activities are planned from morning through late evening. The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) is preparing for this and other events. Expect road closures, parking closures, and noise disruptions during this time.
Inaugural Address
Governor-elect Bob Ferguson will address a joint session of the state Legislature Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 11:30 a.m. TVW will host a live broadcast of the address.
Inaugural Ball
The Inaugural Ball will be held 7-11 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislative Building and on the Flag Circle. At 4 p.m., the Legislative Building will close to the public. The Legislative Building will resume normal business hours Thursday, Jan. 16.
Event details:
- Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
- Thurston County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the private, ticketed event.
- Organizers expect 3,000 attendees.
- During the event, access to the building is restricted to ticketholders and authorized personnel. State employees and other Legislative Building tenants will not have access.
- Ticketholders, volunteers, and event staff will undergo security screenings. Weapons of any kind are not allowed.
- There is a shuttle for the Inaugural Ball; attendee parking is available at Plaza Garage.
DES supports the ball through a contract with its sponsor, the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce. The ball is not a taxpayer-funded event. Learn more about the event.
Road closures
DES has revised traffic flow for several roads on the West Campus. Starting Wednesday, Jan. 15, to accommodate the high volume of people coming to campus, there will be additional restrictions:
- The North and South Diagonal are closed to unauthorized vehicles
- At 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, access to West Campus via 11th Avenue, Water Street, and Union Street is closed to unauthorized vehicles.
- At 4 p.m. Wednesday, vehicle entry will be restricted at all points.
Most roads will reopen Thursday morning. The North Diagonal will remain closed until Friday evening.
Parking Impacts
Traffic and parking restrictions began Friday.
The South Diagonal parking stalls on West Campus are closed to public parking through Friday, Jan. 17.
Parking at the Flag Circle, located between the north side of the Legislative Building and the Temple of Justice, is closed through Friday, Jan. 17.
Questions?
Email communications@des.wa.gov.