The Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia’s Grassroots Pre-Inaugural Ball is the event to attend tonight, reports Erik Wemple.

The ball, held at Arlington, Va.’s Marriott Crystal Gateway, was on the stop-by list of aspiring and established Virginia politicos alike—not a surprise considering the Virginia Black Caucus is known for delivering the state’s critical minority vote, Wemple says.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran showed, as did Senator Mark Warner.

Larry Kibler, a 46-year-old Republican who came to the event with his wife, told Wemple that he is a McAuliffe supporter, and was glad to see the former Democratic National Committee chair. McAuliffe “speaks to lower taxes,” Kibler says.  

Attendee Brenda Kelley-Nelum was similarly pleased with the number of politicians who showed up, and told Jason Cherkis she thought their brief speeches were the highlight of the night. However, Cherkis suspects the real star of the evening was the roast beef on the buffet table, which seemed to be a real crowd-pleaser.