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President Obama will be inaugurated into his second term in 14 days. With January 21, 2013 rapidly approaching, hotels, restaurants and other merchants across the D.C. area are grabbing at the opportunity to raise their rates for this quadrennial celebration of patriotism. And sometimes, they go too far. “Ridiculous Inauguration Deal of the Day” will examine the most ludicrous offerings we can find.

Once upon a time, President Obama skeeved fat financial donations from registered lobbyists and shied away from taking individual contributions in excess of five figures. Well, that was for his 2009 inauguration, when times were leaner. (And he had another election to look forward to.)

This is also the president who famously used part of a State of the Union address to ream out the Supreme Court for its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that blew open the floodgates to unlimited corporate political donations.

For Obama’s second inauguration, though, the Presidential Inaugural Committee blew the lid off is $50,000 cap on individual and corporate donations to finance the post-swearing-in festivities, even though January 21, 2013 will be a much smaller affair than January 20, 2009. Remember four years ago, that Obama held 10 official inaugural balls at convention spaces and hotel ballrooms throughout the city, to say nothing of a massive pre-inaugural concert on the National Mall and other events to which 1.8 million people flocked.

This year’s crowd, which has only two official balls to attend—actually, only one for non-military people—is expected to be less than half as large, but apparently is much pricier to cater to. And in exchange for the most lucrative donations, the Presidential Inaugural Committee is providing some truly impressive perks. The Associated Press reports that for a quarter millon dollars, you can get some of the best seats to the party:

Donors at the “Washington” level are offered “premium partner access” for a minimum donation of $250,000 from individuals and $1 million from corporations. The package includes four tickets to the inaugural ball, an in-demand perk with just two being held this year on inauguration night.

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Other perks of the Washington package include two bleacher seats to the parade, a VIP reception at a Candle Light Celebration on inauguration eve, tickets to a children’s concert, co-chairs reception and a “Road Ahead” meeting featuring members of the president’s finance team Saturday and tickets to a benefactors’ reception to kick off the weekend.

Among the individuals who paid for the “Washington” package are Bertram Scott, a former executive of the health insurance company Cigna, while the corporate donors include AT&T and Genentech. All of the inaugural committees donors are listed on its website.

Meanwhile, the one official inaugural ball open to the plebes, to be held the evening of January 21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, was a much more affordable $60 a ticket. Until Ticketmaster botched up and accidentally sold the event out a day before tickets were supposed to go on sale.

But, hey, this series is about inaugural exorbitance. So if you’ve got $250,000 to fritter away, you too can enjoy a few seconds of being glad-handed by some of Obama’s top advisers.