The North Shore has a bad case of Obama fever.
There is so much excitement over the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration that all kinds of events are being held right here.
There were pre-inaugural bashes this past weekend, including a breakfast in Ipswich and a dinner-dance in Topsfield.
Next Tuesday, Inauguration Day, the 11:30 a.m. ceremony will be shown live at a movie theater in Salem, at the library in Hamilton and at the Mainstage Theatre at Salem State College.
There is a party on inauguration night at Sweeney's Retreat, a restaurant in Marblehead and a poetry reading at Gulu-Gulu Caf’© in Salem.
But the biggest party of all may be the inauguration ball next Tuesday night in Danvers. This one is right out of "The Great Gatsby."
"I'm getting dressed up," said John Archer, who is hosting an intimate party for 100-plus at his home. Not only will Archer be in black tie, he plans to wear the same tuxedo he wore to one of Bill Clinton's inaugurations.
"This is so monumental," said Archer, who has opened his home to the Beverly Democratic City Committee. "We should all be proud we're Americans."
The Danvers ball is a fundraiser for River House, a homeless shelter in Beverly.
Among those planning to attend is Harper Della-Piana, who owns a Wenham dress shop. She will be wearing the gown worn to Harry Truman's 1949 inauguration by the wife of Dean Acheson, Truman's secretary of state.
"My mother bought it at an auction," she said. "It's pretty fabulous."
Also on display will be the gown that Archer's late mother, Helen, wore to John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961.
Jumping the gun a little, a Salem group is holding an inaugural ball this weekend, but it is not a political event. They are raising money for a playground at Forest River Park and decided to have some fun. Black tie is optional.
"Some people are breaking out the tuxes," said Holly Grose, one of the organizers of the "First Inaugural Ball" on Saturday at the Salem YMCA. "A lot of people are very excited about this next president and the era it's ushering in."
They plan to have a life-size, cardboard cutout of the president-elect at the dance.
"We might charge $2 to have your picture taken with Obama," she said.
Paul Van Ness is opening up his theater, CinemaSalem, at 11 a.m. next Tuesday to show the inauguration in high definition on a 10-by-25-foot screen.
He hopes to attract people at work who want to sneak over at lunchtime, or anyone who wants to watch the event in high definition on a big screen — a really big screen.
"We're not selling tickets," Van Ness said. "We didn't really want to charge for something like this. It's a civic event, a community event."
INAUGURAL EVENTS
Saturday, Jan. 17
Inaugural ball, benefit for Forest River Park Playground, 7:30 p.m., Salem YMCA, 1 Sewall St. Black tie optional. Tickets $25 ($40 per couple) at Crunchy Granola Baby, 72 Washington St., or contact hollygrose@aol.com.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Inauguration ceremonies live, Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Union St., Hamilton, 11 a.m., free.
Inauguration ceremonies live, CinemaSalem, 1 East India Square, Salem, 11 a.m., free.
Inauguration ceremonies live, Mainstage Theatre, Salem State College, 352 Lafayette St., Salem, 10 a.m., free.
Inaugural ball, 10 North St., Danvers, dinner, dancing and live auction, tickets $35 per person ($50 per couple), 7:30-11 p.m., contact julienailahnandi@gmail.com. Benefit for River House, Beverly shelter.
Inauguration party, Sweeney's Retreat, 18 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, hors d'oeuvres and cash bar, 7 p.m., sponsored by Marblehead, Swampscott and Nahant Democratic Committees.
Inauguration day poetry reading, Gulu-Gulu Caf’©, 247 Essex St., Salem, 7 to 9 p.m.
Inauguration ball, Rockafellas, 231 Essex St., Salem, appetizer buffet and Champagne fountain, 7-11:45 p.m., $15 admission.
