Every four years in January, Washington plays host to the country's biggest "prom." Inaugural balls bring out happy winners, administration bigwigs and a gown 鈥� on the first lady 鈥� that will become part of history. A Smithsonian exhibition displays some of those gowns.

Who pays for this quadrennial party? When does Beyonc茅 sing? If I'm going to the National Mall, how do I find a bathroom? And beyond the oath, what's the point of the whole thing, anyway?

Obama fulfilled the constitutional requirement to take the oath before noon on Jan. 20. He will repeat the oath in public on Monday.

Gearing up for inaugural weekend balls often means getting ready to stand in lots of lines for some not-so-awesome food. But if you want to say goodbye to the rubber chicken brigade, these foodcentric inaugural balls might be a better bet.