ARLINGTON, Va. — COVID-19 restrictions and security checkpoints might have limited the crowd at the Capitol today, but people all across Northern Virginia still found creative ways to celebrate.
An Arlington barbeque joint spent the day serving up Inauguration deals.
"It's nice when we can do something special," Sloppy Mama's BBQ owner Joe Neuman said. "It's not just a normal day, it's a special day."
On the Alexandria waterfront, a Brooklyn couple who made hotel reservations after the November election found themselves stuck on the wrong side of the Potomac after security concerns tightened inauguration restrictions even further.
They still made the trip.
"Little did we know what was coming and we just said 'you know what, we just need to come anyway' because it was that important to us," Rose Donato said.
In this time of distance, people across Northern Virginia made the most of small moments spent together.
"I got the inauguration kit because we wanted to celebrate," Robin Wosje said as she picked up food from Sloppy Mama's. "We couldn't go down to the National Mall so we just thought we'd celebrate at home."
Those specials included a carryout brunch deal for breakfast sandwiches, a bottle of prosecco, and orange juice.
"We just really just watched it from our hotel room and we decided to celebrate it in the afternoon," said Donato. "It was just such a good feeling to see some normalcy.
As the nation turns the page and a now-President Joe Biden takes the helm, those who spent the day celebrating are eager to see what course he charts.