Pittsburghers Celebrate Inauguration Of President Joe Biden And Vice President Kamala Harris
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- For millions of Americans, Wednesday marked a day of hope after watching history unfold during the 59th presidential inauguration.
And like all presidential inaugurations, it was cause for celebration.
However, for many people, the celebrations looked much different this year. Given the raging public health crisis, the revelry was rerouted.
As Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, a small watch party of North Side neighbors hurried outside, huddled over their phones and popped champagne. Barbra Talerico organized the small outdoor watch party to safely celebrate the occasion with her neighbors.
"We celebrate a lot of things together, and I thought it would be great if we celebrated this momentous occasion too," said Talerico.
Like many others, a KDKA viewer watched and celebrated from home with family, washing down some homemade "46" cookies with a splash of coffee from her Biden mugs.
Cappy's Café in Shady Side joined the festivities by stirring up some steamy servings of Irish stew, a nod to Biden's heritage.
"We did a homemade Irish beef stew I've perfected over the years. And since Biden is Irish and I am, that's our meal today," said owner Bryan Carey.
WATCH: Pa. Lawmakers React To Biden's Speech
And while Vice President Kamala Harris made history on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, dozens of women joined a live Zoom call hosted by the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Some expressed feeling inspired as they watched the first female vice president, the first woman of color and the first woman of South Asian descent take the oath of office.
"We are super excited that somebody who looks like us is the vice president," said Caitlynn Hopson.
"My grandmother didn't live to see today. But she would have been so grateful to see Shirley Chisholm and those who came before, that this was their day too," said Heather Arnet, the foundation's CEO.
The dress code for the event? Strings of pearls, paying homage to the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority of which VP Harris is a proud member.
