At around 11:30 on election night, I started hearing honks and cheers coming from U Street. Four years ago I stayed home during the spontaneous street party, somehow thinking it would not go on for so long. So this year I headed out to see what was happening.

I first went to 14th & U, where police had closed entry to the 1300 block of U St. There were groups of people celebrating, and occasionally a big cheer would erupt when someone approached holding up an Obama poster.

The 1200 block of U Street was also closed, with another big crowd outside Ben’s Chili Bowl.

At one point the cops had to clear out a path to let a bus go through.

Then I biked to the White House, where a larger crowd had gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue, by Lafayette Square. A shirtless guy on the corner was attracting a lot of attention, and posing for photos with men and women.

Everyone was taking photos, and flags and posters made for perfect backdrops.

This group had a large DC flag. I got them to change their chant to “Da-vid Gro-sso,” after the guy who unseated Michael Brown for a seat on the DC Council.

A rainbow flag and the old Obama “hope” poster.

This girl was taking photos from atop a friend’s shoulders, at which point everyone crowded around to take her photo.

This guy had worked on the Obama campaign. He brought a leftover yard sign with him to the White House street party.

A few folks wrapped themselves up in an American flag.

People without an American flag handy could just walk around in their flag-print shorts.

This guy opted to wear an American-flag headband.

There was a bit of drunkenness, as witnessed by these two guys drinking from metal flasks.

I ran into a few familiar faces. It seemed like most of the crowd was students from George Washington University.

And someone decided to wear a horse mask to the event. I assume this was not Rafalca. Nor was it Jimmy Kruyne, the local “Horse-Mask Hurricane Jogger.”

A lot of people were climbing the trees along Pennsylvania Avenue. There were a few American flags, and at least one DC flag.

A lot of people were eager to get on TV, even if it meant going crazy in the background.

More photos via the electionnight2012 tag.