Latino Inaugural Gala
By John Oliveira - 1/18/09Sunday night, commuters arriving at Washington D.C.'s Union Station were greeted with station detours and ball gowns. That is because Union Station helped kick off President-elect Barack Obama's Inaugural weekend with the Latino Inaugural Gala. Commuters would have to find a different way out of the station besides the main entrance. For this star-studded event, the train station's main hall was transformed into a flashy and fancy ballroom. The exclusive black-tie event was invite-only and featured some of the most prominent Hispanic politicians and entertainers.
The event kicked off shortly before 8 PM with "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta singing the national anthem. The concert theme continued throughout the night with performances by Mexican singer Paulina Rubio, Alejandro Sanz, and the night's headliner, Marc Anthony, who was introduced by his wife, superstar Jennifer Lopez. Other celebrities and politicians who attended were Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colorado), Representative Hilda Solis (D-California), Rosario Dawson, and George Lopez. Even though the fiesta was thrown in honor of the President-elect, Barack Obama did not make an appearance.