KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennessee is turning a spotlight on the inauguration, with less than a week away from the presidential transition.
While Washington D.C. security is preparing every area for January 20, an East Tennessee company is working to illuminate the inauguration.
Bandit Lites is hard at work installing 2,000 lights, stretched across two miles on the National Mall in front of the Capitol.
"We're gonna paint the landscape, if you will, so that it looks good on television from both from handheld cameras and from aerial views," said Bandit Lites CEO Michael Strickland.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the entertainment industry to stay still, so Strickland knew the opportunity to install lights for the inauguration was an automatic 'yes.'
"Most of the other folks that could have done it are not actually operative at the moment because they're completely shut down," Strickland said. "So that makes it a little bit more special."
This isn't the company's first inauguration. Bandit Lites helped out with the Clinton, Bush and Obama transitions too.
However, shining a spotlight on a part of history in 2021 is still a big task, even though there will be fewer people.
"As far as what we have been told, there will not be a crowd, such as there normally is," Strickland said.
That fact isn't deterring Tennessee Democrats from taking part in the inauguration, though.
"[It] doesn't mean it's going to be boring, I think it's going to be a great event," Mark Harmon, the Regional Vice-Chair for the Tennessee Democratic Party said.
East Tennessee Democrats like Harmon are still basking in that glow, planning to attend virtual events instead.
"This will be a time for all of us to be celebrating a peaceful transfer of power, and let's hope in spite of the past couple of weeks that we truly are going to get a peaceful transfer of power because we're all working toward it," Harmon said.
Most are hopeful things can start to look up with the inauguration
For the Democrats, they hope that President-Elect Joe Biden can respond quickly to a survey in coronavirus cases and help people suffering from the economic downturn. For Bandit Lites, they're appreciative to work events like this and hopeful for the awaited approval of funding needed for the entertainment industry.
Strickland testified before Congress in December to explain why the government should pass the "Restart Act." Passing the act would mean low-cost loans could be made available for small businesses in the entertainment industry.
"If the government doesn't step forward with the Restart Act, most of the people in our industry will cease to exist," Strickland said.
Tennessee Democrats say there will be another part to the inauguration celebration.
On January 18, in part to commemorate MLK Jr. Day and celebrate the inauguration, Democrats across the nation plan to spend 1,000,000 hours volunteering.
In Knoxville, officials said they will focus on helping people experiencing homelessness.