Though Ms Monica Lewinsky's court appearance was unlikely to be a picnic, a carnival atmosphere prevailed outside as members of the media relaxed in beach chairs, munching bagels while waiting for her.
Many of the more than 200 journalists were staked out on "Barry Beach", the paved apron in front of the federal courthouse, nicknamed by those who covered the 1992 drug trial of the Washington mayor, Marion Barry.
Inside the building, the grand jury was considering allegations that Ms Lewinsky had a sexual affair with President Clinton and then was put under pressure to lie about it.
The media scene was a monster version of the almost daily courthouse gathering that began after the sex-and-perjury scandal erupted in January.
But Ms Lewinsky's presence drew dozens more photographers and camera operators and spawned a forest of some 19 television satellite trucks outside the courthouse, more than three times the usual number.
Cameras were poised on their tripods, trained on the driveway on the east side of the E. Barrett Prettyman courthouse, waiting to record the few steps Ms Lewinsky took from her car to the doorway. Their operators, some of whom had been there since the middle of the night, seemed unconcerned as the hours passed by, sipping coffee and flirting with passers-by.
The first sighting happened earlier than expected, at about 8:30 a.m., catching many journalists inside the courthouse by surprise.
Ms Lewinsky, wearing a dark blue suit, white shoes, and pearls, stepped out of a green van and on to the driveway, her every movement captured by the throng of photographers and TV cameras posted 30 metres away.
Once inside, Ms Lewinsky ducked into a side hallway instead of making the usual walk down the middle of the courthouse. She took an elevator usually reserved for judges to the third floor, bypassing the 10 media organisations whose representatives had stood in line since Wednesday evening to reserve a spot to watch her make the short walk from the main elevators to the area behind the partitions where the grand jury meets.
Outside, the media resumed their watch, settling in for a full day.
Producers outside the television trucks screamed into their cell phones and radios, trying to be heard above the buzz of the many electric generators that keep the media equipment working.
The group of eight policemen assigned as Ms Lewinsky's escorts for the day circled the building, joking with photographers and offering their opinion on who had the best view.
Debate raged over what kind of shots the CNN cameraman was getting, hoisted 15 metres above the ground along the south-east corner of the courthouse in a huge crane.
The courthouse steps were turned into an outdoor multiple news set, with five television stations simultaneously broadcasting from different sections of the steps. Reporters recited the morning's news or interviewed commentators about the expected testimony.
Photographers and television crews had covered the pavement with tape, marking out the spots from which they were going to shoot.
A US House of Representatives committee voted yesterday to hold the Attorney General, Ms Janet Reno, in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over documents in an investigation of the financing of the 1996 election campaign. The House Governmental Reform and Oversight Committee, split along party lines, voted after Ms Reno refused to hand over documents recommending that she appoint an independent prosecutor.
Ms Reno could be jailed under a contempt citation, which would have to be voted by the full house and enforced by a federal court. Speaking to reporters after the vote, Ms Reno said she regretted the panel's action but stood her ground. "I simply have to draw the line and stand up for what I believe to be a very important principle - prosecutions in America must be free of political influence."