Who throws D.C.'s best party?

An inside look at the black-tie circuit—and which one you can score tickets to.

By Kristin Coyner

If Washington really is "Hollywood for ugly people," then what are its Oscars?

Several annual shindigs in the nation's capital try to capture a little of that Tinseltown glamour, with varying degrees of success.

The undisputed king is the White House Correspondents Association's annual dinner, which draws honest-to-goodness movie stars along with the president and other top politicos. In keeping with Washington's low self-esteem, it's also sometimes called "Nerd Prom."

But there are several other events also put on a decent show, including the Gridiron Club Black-Tie Dinner, the Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner, the Washington Press Club Foundation's Congressional Dinner and the inaugural balls held every four years.

With the help of some of our more well-dressed colleagues, we've rated these parties by difficulty of getting a ticket, political power, star power, entertainment value, venue and overall value.

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