Beshears invite all Kentuckians to free Dec. 10 inaugural events, including two balls
From an early morning breakfast to two balls in the evening, Gov.-elect Andy Beshear and future first lady Britainy Beshear are welcoming all Kentuckians to attend the free events planned for the Dec. 10 inauguration of Beshear and Lt. Gov.-elect Jacqueline Coleman.
They are calling Kentucky’s 61st inauguration “a time for all Kentuckians to come together on one team — Team Kentucky.”
The Beshears announced the inaugural events Tuesday at a news conference in the Capitol. An inaugural committee has been set up to raise private funds for the events.
“This will be a special day for all of Kentucky, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Frankfort for the celebration,” said Britainy Beshear.
For the first time, a state Capitol open house will follow the public swearing-in on the Capitol steps.
“We felt strongly that opening the people’s house to every Kentucky family set the right tone for our state as we embark on this new chapter,” Andy Beshear said.
Beshear will be officially sworn in as governor at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 10 in a private ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion.
The public events start at 7:30 a.m. with an inaugural breakfast reception at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in downtown Frankfort. The reception will be hosted by Frankfort citizens. The museum will offer light breakfast foods and beverages and tours.
Attendees are encouraged to RSVP for this and other public inaugural events at kentucky.gov/inauguration.
The inaugural worship service will start at 8:30 a.m. at First Christian Church in downtown Frankfort. It will be a nondenominational ceremony.
From 10 a.m. to noon, an inaugural parade will feature Kentucky educators as grand marshals. They will include 2020 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Erin Ball of Georgetown Middle School in Scott County and 2019 National Education Association Education Support Professional of the Year Matthew Powell of Graves County Central Elementary School.
The parade will begin at High Street at the Old Governor’s Mansion and end in front of the Capitol.
The Beshears and their children, Will and Lila, will join Lt. Gov. Coleman, her husband Chris O’Bryan and their children, Will, Nate and Emma, in open horse-drawn carriages provided by the Kentucky Horse Park.
At 1 p.m., a prelude before the inauguration on the Capitol steps will include musicians from across the state, including the 202nd Army Band, Harlan Boys Choir, Northern Pulaski Middle School honors choir and Louisville Eastern High School chamber singers.
The swearing-in ceremony on the Capitol steps will begin at 2 p.m. Seating will be available for the public and visitors may line up along the Capitol’s grand front steps.
The ceremony will be emceed by Kentucky educators Cathy Carter, Scott Collier and Laura Hartke and will feature musical performances by Patricia Mathison, Jason Clayborn, the Harlan Boys Choir and Linkin’ Bridge.
Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. will swear in Beshear and Justice Michelle M. Keller will swear in Coleman.
Beshear said all former living governors have been invited to the public swearing-in ceremony. They certainly will include his father, Steve Beshear, who was governor from 2007 to 2015.
Gov. Matt Bevin, who will be leaving office at the end of Dec. 9, has invited the governor-elect and his wife to the Dec. 7 Christmas tree lighting at the Capitol, said Beshear.
Immediately following the swearing-in ceremony, the public is invited to tour the “people’s house” and enjoy the decorations prior to the evening’s celebrations.
Winners of Mrs. Beshear’s Team Kentucky poster contest will be recognized then.
The Grand March in the Capitol Rotunda will begin at 8 p.m. It is a formal presentation of the governor, lieutenant governor and other constitutional officers, who will be sworn in Jan. 6.
The Louisville Orchestra, led by director Teddy Abrams, will provide music for the Grand March. Attire for the event is black tie optional. Doors will open at 7 p.m.
Two side-by-side inaugural balls will be held adjacent to the Capitol from 9 p.m. to midnight. They will be catered by Kentucky State Parks and will serve some of the state’s favorite foods. Attire for the balls is black tie optional and doors will open at 8:30 p.m.
Like the other events, the balls are free. Mrs. Beshear said more details about them will be forthcoming.
The Kentucky Educational Television network will broadcast live the parade, swearing-in ceremony and Grand March.
The inauguration’s honorary co-chairs include state Rep. Rocky Adkins of Sandy Hook, Lonnie Ali, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, former Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Covington Mayor Joe Meyer and state Rep. Patti Minter of Bowling Green.
For more information, visit the inauguration website, kentucky.gov/inauguration.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 12:10 PM.
