WASHINGTON (WJHL) — The predicted arctic chill forecasted for Washington, D.C. may have moved the inauguration of the 47th president indoors, but the weather didn’t keep some East Tennesseans from waiting in line for hours outdoors to be a part of the celebrations for President Donald Trump.

Jennifer Little, vice chairman of the Grainger County Republican Women, said she and her daughter Erin got in line at 4:30 a.m. to be admitted to the Capital One Arena where Trump supporters could watch the ceremony live.

“We entered the doors at 8:40 a.m. so we were outside for four hours and it was really packed even at 4:30 a.m.,” Little told News Channel 11 in a Zoom interview from inside the arena. She said some were in line as early as 1:30 a.m.

The arena hosted the presidential parade and performers who were to be a part of the outdoor ceremony. The space fits about 20,000 people, but that’s a fraction of those who had tickets for the swearing in, including Little.

“This is a good second,” Little said. “The only thing is, not everyone can get in, they gave over 200,000 tickets. We did pick up our inaugural tickets, but they are just souvenirs,” she said.

Some from the Tri-Cities skipped the cold and just enjoyed events before the inauguration.

Dobyns-Bennett High School alumni and current Naval Academy student-athlete Garrett Crowder received an invitation to the inauguration from Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger’s office. He brought his dad Tim and younger brother Gavin along for the historical trip.

“Due to the inauguration being moved indoors, sadly, I wasn’t able to attend,” said Midshipman 4th Class Crowder. “However, I was able to take part in an event at Capitol Hill Club, and I met Sen. Blackburn and Sen. Hagerty as well. So, I did get, I’ve done a few things in D.C. this weekend.”

Crowder also attended the funeral of the late President Jimmy Carter last week as part of his Naval Academy duties. He says he was thankful to be chosen.

“I was one of the few selected. That was a really big moment for me,” Crowder said. “I was actually able to meet President Bush while I was there. He walked right by my seat. So I stood up and I said, ‘Hello, Mr. President.’ I introduced myself. It was a really fantastic moment there.”

Crowder hopes others back home will be inspired by his experiences and know that being a part of historic moments like these is possible.

“If you’re a hard worker and you’re set on achievement, you can really do anything,” Crowder said from his hotel before heading back to Annapolis to resume classes on Tuesday.

Jennifer Little also feels that by participating in this significant event, she’s helping to connect East Tennesseeans to history.

“We are just happy to be here,” Little said. “I feel like sometimes we’re representing a lot of folks back home.”