The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced this morning that 5,000 bleacher seats along the parade route will go on sale today at 1 p.m. EST, at $25 a pop. However, you’d better be on the ball if you want tickets, because they will surely sell out quickly.

Here’s the full press release, with all the info:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 9, 2009

Public Tickets Available for Inaugural Parade

5,000 Bleacher Seats Lining Parade Route to Go On Sale

Washington, D.C. — The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced today that 5,000 tickets for the 56th Inaugural Parade will go on sale to the public at 1:00 PM EST today for $25 each. Tickets will allow spectators access to bleachers along the historic parade route from the Capitol to the White House. Tickets will be available for sale at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 202-397-SEAT(7328), 410-547-SEAT(7328) or 703-573-SEAT(7328). Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.

“We are very pleased to make these tickets available to the public as part of our commitment to holding the most open and accessible Inauguration in history,” said Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Emmett S. Beliveau. “The Inaugural Parade is a celebration of America, and we are working to make sure that as many citizens as possible can take part in this historic tradition.”

Thousands of spectators will line the 1.7 mile parade route as the new President and Vice President are escorted from the Capitol to the White House by over 13,000 parade participants. Over 90 music, cultural and community groups will join representatives from our Armed Forces in the historic parade, which concludes at the presidential reviewing stand, where the President and Vice President will watch the processional with their families.

Tickets are limited to four per person for purchase. Tickets are not required to view the parade, but the purchase of tickets will guarantee spectators a seated spot along the parade route. Ticket holders must be in their seats no later than 1:00 PM EST on January 20th. Standing room will be available along Pennsylvania Avenue on a first come, first serve basis.

Earlier this month the PIC announced that hundreds of free parade tickets were being made available to Washington, DC students and their families. DC residents can visit www.pic2009.org/page/s/dcstudentessay for more information on how to obtain those tickets.

For the latest information on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, please visit www.pic2009.org.

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Update: The Washington Post reports the tickets sold out within minutes.

The parade, which began in 1901 and has been held every year since then, was nearly canceled this time around because the city cut its funding due to a $1 billion budget shortfall. Private donors came up with enough funds at the last minute to continue the tradition, which is as much a part of Philadelphia as cheese steaks and the Liberty Bell.

But while the parade goes on this year, the city has made it clear its budget woes mean it won’t be able to contribute much next year either, leaving organizers to scramble for money once again.

From Bloomberg:

“A damn disgrace” is how Rose Marie Cola, a 67-year-old grandmother from South Philadelphia, describes the city’s abandonment of the Mummers. The event, known for its string bands decked out in sequins and ostrich plumes, has been staged every year since 1901, ranking it with the Liberty Bell, cheese steaks and Benjamin Franklin as a Philadelphia icon. “The Mummers parade is a family tradition,” Cola said in a telephone interview. “It’s one of the last true Philadelphia things. Everybody in South Philadelphia has a connection to the Mummers in one way or another.”Philadelphia, the U.S.’s sixth-largest city, announced the budget cuts in November. A shortfall in tax revenue and a decline in the value of stocks held by the city’s pension funds swelled the gap in Mayor Michael Nutter’s five-year spending plan to more than $1 billion.“These are unprecedented financial times,” said Doug Oliver, a spokesman for the city. “We simply could not afford to provide financial support at the same level we did last year and we won’t be able to provide support moving forward.”

The threat to the Mummers is another sign of how much everyday life is changing because of the economic crisis. The message here is: Don’t take anything for granted. It might not be around tomorrow.