Kaine Takes Reins With a Nod To History and Bipartisanship

Kaine presided over a weekend of festivities, beginning Friday night with a concert by the Beach Boys. Kaine's son Nat and his high school band performed the opening act, and the soon-to-be governor played a few bars on his harmonica with No Speed Limit, a bluegrass band from southwestern Virginia.

Hotels in Williamsburg were packed with lawmakers, lobbyists, reporters and members of high school marching bands.

Saturday's events started at the 290-year-old Bruton Parish Episcopal Church, where Kaine attended a prayer service with Bolling and McDonnell. Before the service, the three men adjusted one another's ties and joked about being fashion-challenged.

At the end of the service, Kaine beamed and gave a thumbs-up sign as members of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church of Richmond performed "My Country 'Tis of Thee." His daughter, Annella, leaned against her father as they sang together.

In a brief and traditional ceremony before the speech in the Secretary of State Room at the old Capitol, Warner took a key to the governor's mansion out of a small black box.

"As much as I, in some ways, regret handing over these keys," Warner said, "I can't think of anybody I have more trust and confidence in and who will be a greater governor than my friend Tim Kaine."

Taking the key, Kaine joked that "someone must hold this. I will lose it in the first five minutes."

The rain continued after Kaine's speech as representatives of dozens of schools and other nonprofit groups began slowly making their way along Duke of Gloucester Street for the inaugural parade. Kaine, wearing a black raincoat over the traditional gray morning suit of newly installed governors, stepped into a gold-colored open carriage for the ride to the reviewing stand across from the Colonial Governor's Palace. His wife, Anne Holton, was on his left; their three children sat across from them.

Farther down the parade route, wet spectators watched staff members unload chairs onto the reviewing stand, then carefully cover each one with black plastic. Onlookers huddled under the eaves of 18th-century buildings, making friends with others waiting for the parade to pass by.

At last, with a flourish, rows of red-coated fife players announced the arrival of Kaine and his family, waving from the carriage. A reenactor in a deep-blue, hooded velvet cloak rushed forward, lifted a digital camera and snapped a photo.

"You know, this is worth it," said Teresa Givens, who was driving to Norfolk from her home in Richmond and decided to stop by Williamsburg for the festivities. "We'll put on the heat for 45 minutes and drink some hot chocolate, and we'll be fine."

Saturday night, Kaine and his family planned to attend two inaugural balls -- one in Williamsburg and the other in Richmond.

At the Williamsburg ball, hundreds of people jammed the basketball arena at the College of William and Mary and watched Kaine sing "My Girl" and play the harmonica. His daughter won a limbo contest. Guests dined on shaved roast beef and chicken skewers with peanut sauce.

The Kaine family later went to the Richmond party, where hundreds more packed the convention center, snacking on offerings of cheese, fruit and alcoholic beverages.

On Sunday, Anne Holton will hold a brunch at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the first family will host an open house at the governor's mansion from 1 to 3 p.m.

In cyberspace, Kaine's ascension became official as he finished his oath. At 12:20 p.m., Warner's Web site, http://www.governor.virginia.gov , came down and a new one went up: "Governor Tim Kaine -- Virginia Leading the Way."

Staff writers Rosalind S. Helderman and Chris L. Jenkins contributed to this report.