President-elect Joe Biden has planned a mix of celebratory, upbeat events to mark the inauguration, along with more serious moments aimed at marking the grim times that many Americans are facing as he takes office.
The inauguration program is scheduled to begin at around 10 a.m. Central Time, but most TV network coverage was scheduled to start well before that.
Instead of an in-person parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, a virtual "Parade Across America" will start at 1:15 Wednesday afternoon after Biden's swearing-in, which will be shortly after 11 a.m. Central Time.
The parade will kick off with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris walking to the White House escorted by drum lines from the University of Delaware and Howard University, their alma maters. Instead of traditional inaugural balls in the evening, the new president will take part in a television event called "Celebrating America," beginning at 7:30 p.m.
The events also will be livestreamed on multiple platforms, officials said.
