WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of visitors streamed into the capital city this weekend as organizers prepared for an inauguration that, while not as grand as four years ago, is still cause for celebration among supporters of President Obama.

Barbara and Loren Ing drove their minivan here from rural Ohio, lugging a trailer filled with glass centerpieces. As a volunteer for the society representing her native state, Illinois, Barbara Ing — who ordinarily works in the layaway department of her local Kmart — spent months creating the table decor for the society’s inaugural ball, one of countless unofficial parties marking Obama’s second swearing-in.