WASHINGTON -- When Stacy Ritter shows up at Florida's official presidential inaugural ball in the nation's capital, she'll be wearing a gown she purchased eight years ago.

And not because she's being thrifty in a shaky economy: The Broward County mayor bought the dress to wear to Al Gore's inauguration in 2000. A razor-thin election in Florida and a U.S. Supreme Court decision nixed those plans.

''I wasn't going to wear it to anything but an inauguration,'' Ritter said of the cream Zola Keller gown that has been stored in a special bag in her closet. 'I'd pull it out -- it's still a gorgeous dress -- and my daughter would say, `When are you going to wear it?' I thought maybe 2004. But now I can say: January 20, 2009.''

Floridians at the state's official ball will share a dance floor with 10 other states in a cavernous National Guard Armory that doubles as the home of the DC Rollergirls, the city's all-female roller derby team.

Swank it's not. Lines for the coat check at inaugural events are notoriously long -- and partygoers are advised to wear flats and bring their own snacks.

A LENGTHY WAIT

But Democratic activists, who haven't been the belles of the ball in 12 years, say the venue and the crowds matter little.

''It's been such a long dry spell for Democrats it doesn't matter where it is,'' said Ritter, who is having her dress -- a little roomy after eight years -- slightly altered. ``We elected a Democratic president of the United States. That's all that matters.''

Florida will cut the rug with Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas at one of five regional inaugural balls.

The armory venue -- which the city says ''can be readily transformed into an elegant setting for formal social affairs'' -- holds 10,000 and boasts a rich history: Frank Sinatra produced John F. Kennedy's inauguration gala there in 1961.

Tampa activist Ana Cruz is enthused, even about sharing a dance floor.

''We're all family. No matter if you're from Florida or South Carolina, we're there to celebrate,'' Cruz said. ``This is about celebrating not just Obama's success but our own.''

The Southern states' soiree is among 10 official inaugural balls that the newly minted president and first lady will attend, following the swearing-in and the parade -- and for many attendees that's reason enough to be there.

Rep. Kendrick Meek and his wife Leslie attended a private, unofficial ball at one of the Smithsonian museums in 2005, but they didn't make the official inauguration party.

`A CATTLE CALL'

Though the setting was glamorous, Leslie Meek has declared that the official inaugural ball this year is not to be missed. She said she's undaunted by warnings from Republican friends who describe the official balls as a bit of a mob scene.

''They said it was a cattle call, people are pushing, the only thing left to eat is a few crunched-up potato chips,'' she said, laughing. ``I figure it might just be like that, but I am all about the experience. If it's a cattle call, just call me Bessie. I want to see it all, and I want to be front and center.

''When I'm 98 years old I want to be able to tell people what it was like when we saw the first African-American president inaugurated,'' she said.

The Washington Post on Sunday published an advice column that warned ballgoers they would ``stand all night. There are long lines for security, coat check, bars and restrooms, and no place to sit down, except the floor.''

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