Want to party round-the-clock in celebration of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration? Emergency legislation approved by the City Council of the District of Columbia this week will let you do just that! The bill allows any Washington establishment with a liquor license to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. and serve food 24 hours a day from January 17 until the morning after Obama’s swearing-in on January 20.

Ordinarily, bars and nightclubs in the nation’s capital can serve alcohol only until 2 a.m. on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington proposed the special inaugural exception, saying it was important for the council to pass the legislation quickly because bars and restaurants are booking private parties for the week already.

“It makes sense to have places for people to go when they’re in a celebratory mood,” said Andrew J. Kline, general council for the restaurant association. While it is nice to know the restaurants are thinking of the people, it also makes sense for association members to want to capitalize on that celebratory mood. With estimates of expected visitors for the inaugural in the unprecedented millions, visions of dollar signs are certainly dancing in the heads of Washington area service providers this holiday season.

The extension of bar hours may also help with the reported hotel room shortage. Who needs a bed when you can just stay happily drunk the whole weekend?