Last night it seemed that all of Washington, D.C., had one dress code: black tie and smiles.

Everywhere you looked -- the Metro, the streets and in every hotel lobby -- men and women in formal wear, furs real and faux, were making their way to one of the hundred plus galas being held throughout the city to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden.

By sheer volume, Jan. 20 is the big leagues of black-tie nights. On no other date in history have so many events been held that require a cummerbund for eating with a plastic fork. Notorious for their lack of ambiance, the official inaugural balls have one big advantage: the guaranteed appearance of the president and first lady or the vice president and second lady, or both.

Tens of thousands funneled through security into the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for six of the 10 official inaugural balls to find vast ballrooms free of seating.

What had changed since the last time around was the level of anticipation and excitement surrounding the appearance of the president and the first lady and the heightened security.

Another difference: the stars. D.C. was awash in celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Dustin Hoffman, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Steven Spielberg, Seal, and many more.

Of the 10 official inaugural celebrations, the hottest ticket was "The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball." What it had that the others didn't was a line-up of A-list entertainers, including Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey and Beyonce. It was the first ball that Mr. Biden and his wife, Jill, stopped at for a dance and the place to find the famous.

The Obamas were the star attraction at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of 10 inaugural celebrations they planned to attend marking the end of a long day of formal inaugural events.

The president pulled his wife close, and they danced a slow, dignified two-step while, offstage, Beyonce sang. The president spun the first lady once in a half-turn.

Two tickets for that event were being offered on eBay for the "buy-it-now" price of $6,499 the night before.

Since security was never tighter, there was no chance of accidentally wandering in from the Mid Atlantic Inaugural or the Obama Home States ball, also in the convention center. Significant for our region were the Biden Home States Ball for Pennsylvania and Delaware (one of the 10 official balls), also in the convention center, the Pennsylvania Society Inaugural Ball being held at the Ritz Carlton 15 blocks away, and the Pennsylvania Democratic Ball the night before at the Washington Plaza Hotel.

And just as for every lid there's a pot, for every ball there was a label. There were balls for baby boomers, balls for kids and balls for the military, state balls, green balls, hope balls and cool balls.

Not everyone was so thrilled to be attending a ball. Singer Sheryl Crow, doing a sound check for a performance later at the Midwestern Ball, said she was homesick. "I have not seen my child in four days. I'm miserable," she told her band between songs.