Obama to hold neighborhood inaugural ball

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural committee announced Monday that he will host the first-ever "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball" on Jan. 20.

The neighborhood ball is to be held at the Washington Convention Center, and will be free or at affordable prices, the Boston Globe reported.

The newspaper said a portion of the tickets will be reserved for Washington residents. The event will be broadcast on the Internet.

"This is an Inauguration for all Americans," Obama said in a statement. "I wanted to make sure that we had an event that would be open to our new neighborhood here in Washington, D.C., and also neighborhoods across the country."