Hey there nerds! Tonight is Obama’s final State of the Union Address! You can watch on C-SPAN or through the live feed at the White House’s dedicated site: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu, and Gizmodo also has a whole post dedicated to how to watch here.
Now for the business: Starting at 7 pm tonight, many streets in the western area of the neighborhood will be closed. The State of the Union Address starts at 9 pm EST, so plan accordingly. From Alert DC:
MPD reports the following area will be closed to vehicular traffic for the 2016 State of the Union Address beginning at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. These closures will restrict vehicular traffic on public roads surrounding the U.S. Capitol. Access into the restricted area will be granted only through designated access points, to those vehicles displaying the appropriate event placard. The closures in this area will remain in effect for the duration of the State of the Union Address and will include the following public streets:
- 1st Street, NE from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
- 1st Street, NW/SW from Louisiana Avenue, NW to Washington Avenue, SW
- 2nd Street, NE/SE from Constitution Avenue, NE to C Street, SE
- C Street, NW/NE from Louisiana Avenue, NW to 2nd Street, NE
- C Street, SW/SE from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SE
- Constitution Avenue, NW from 1st Street, NW to 2nd Street, NW
- D Street, NW/NE from Louisiana Avenue, NW to 2nd Street, NE
- Delaware Avenue, NE from Columbus Circle to Constitution Avenue, NE
- Delaware Avenue, SW from Washington Avenue, SW to C Street, SW
- East Capitol Street, SE from 1st Street, SE to 2nd Street, SE
- Independence Avenue, SW from Washington Avenue, SW to 2nd Street, SW
- Maryland Avenue, NE from 1st Street, NE to 2nd Street, NE
- Maryland Avenue, SW from 3rd Street, SW to 1st Street, SW
- New Jersey Avenue, NW from Louisiana Avenue, NW to Constitution Avenue, NW
- New Jersey Avenue, SE from Independence Avenue, SE to D Street, SE
- Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 3rd Street, NW to 1st Street, NW
- South Capitol Street, SW from Independence Avenue, SE to D Street, SE
EMERGENCY NO PARKING ZONES FOR 2016 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
The following Emergency No Parking Zones will be established for the 2016 State of the Union Address to account for the necessary security measures during the event:\
- 15th Street between Independence Avenue, SW & New York Avenue, NW (Both sides of the street)
- Pennsylvania Avenue, NW between 15th Street and 3rd Street, NW (Both sides of the street)
- 3rd Street, NW/SW between Constitution Avenue NW and Independence Avenue SW (Both sides of the street)
- Constitution Avenue, NW between 4th Street NW and 1st Street NW (Both sides of the street)
- Independence Avenue, SW between 7th Street and 3rd Street, SW (Both sides of the street)
And what would be of a SOTU watching party without the drinking games? We have plenty of links for you below, as well as STOU Bingo! I mean, if you get stuck coming back home, you’re going to need some entertainment. You can also follow along with our friends at Cloture Club by using the hashtag #SOTUGame. You are also invited to join Councilmember Charles Allen at Smith Commons for a watch party.
State of the Union Bingo board courtesy of the American Association of University Women (click for full-sized image)
If you do go out, make sure you have an Uber, Lyft, or a DC cab lined up afterward, and Drink Responsibly!
Drinking game LINKS!
Cloture Club’s (recycled) 2016 Drinking Game
Drinking Game’s Drinking Game
The very bipartisan Debate Drinking Game (I mean, does alcohol pick a side?)
Last but so definitely not least, the American Association of University Women has a bingo WITH PRIZES