Events

Travel treats on tap at LAS Airport

If you’re flying to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl game, or the festivities surrounding it, be sure to stop for a selfie with the giant “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign replica near baggage claim in Terminal 3 at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS).

That’s just one of the many spots in the airport you’ll find Super Bowl branding this week as the airport gets ready to welcome about half of the more than 330,000 fans who plan to be in town for the Big Game.

Skipping the Super Bowl, but heading to LAS for Valentine’s Day?

Are you planning to get married in Las Vegas – the Wedding Capital of the World – on or around Valentine’s Day?

Thousands of couples do. And once again, you and your sweetheart can stop at the pop-up Marriage License Bureau near Bag Claim in Terminal 1 of the Las Vegas airport.

The Clark County Clerk’s office – which issues marriage licenses from its downtown Las Vegas offices – will have a temporary office at the airport from Tuesday, Feb. 13 through Thursday, Feb. 29 to make it easier for couples to land, get their marriage licenses – or vow renewal certificates, and go directly to their ceremonies.

Be sure to bring a credit or debit card to pay for your marriage license. The pop-up Marriage License Bureau won’t take cash or checks.

Airport news from here and there

PIE Airport gave passengers free pie

January 23 (Tuesday) was National Pie Day. To celebrate, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which has PIE as its airport code, handed out free pies and unveiled a cool “Everyone Loves PIE” sand sculpture. Some travelers even won tickets on Allegiant.

ChiBoys at ORD

Locally owned clothing brand, Chiboys, now has a shop in Terminal 3 at Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD).

The innovative Chicago clothing brand founded by DeShawn Murry takes inspiration from the history, architecture and culture of the Windy City and has a line that includes hoodies, t-shirts, hats, caps, jackets, joggers, and accessories such as candles and backpacks.

The ChiBoys shop at ORD will carry a range of fashion items as well as high-end tech accessories and headphones. The brand also operates a mobile clothing truck, a store in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, and a retail store with a café on the Chicago Riverwalk.

Airport Arrivals: Burning Man +Beyoncé

Reno-Tahoe International Airport loves the Burners

Burning Man 2023 is underway in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. And about 20,000 of the 80,000 or so attendees make their way to the event through Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO).

The airport is an old hand at welcoming and sending off the festival goers.

So, when the party is over, on September 4, the airport will be ready with plastic bags to wrap dust-encrusted luggage and other checked items to make sure playa dust doesn’t get tracked through the terminal and muck up the baggage systems. There will also be donation sites for camping gear Burners don’t want to take home and the bikes Burners brought or bought to get around the playa.

Photo op: Beyonce’s “BeyHive” at San Jose Mineta Int’l Airport

Beyoncé will be performing at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA on August 30 and San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC), which is just five miles from the stadium is ready with a special event for Queen Bey’s ‘BeyHive,’ as her fans are known.

XO” is one of the singer’s hit song titles, and it is also the name of a new art installation at the airport created by Bay Area artists Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg for the Burning Man Festival, and dedicated at SJC earlier this year.

The structure is comprised of two 12-foot-tall aluminum letters, perforated with bird cutouts symbolizing flight, and is illuminated with color at night. 

To welcome Beyoncé fans flying in for the concert, SJC airport will be hosting an event for fans to get free professional photos taken in front of its “XO” public art sculpture. 

The event will take place on the Airport’s Terminal B curbside beginning at 7:00 PM on August 29th.

The commemorative color photos will be taken on a first-come-first-served basis by a professional photographer and will be available on the spot along with other fun giveaways from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., or while supplies last.  

(XO images courtesy of San Jose Mineta Int’l Airport and City of San Jose)

Swifties at San Jose Airport + Authors at MCI + Musical Astronauts at Seattle’s Museum of Flight

San Jose Airport is Ready for Taylor Swift Fans

Thousands of Taylor Swift fans, known as “Swifties,” will be flying into San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) this week on their way to Levi’s Stadium, where Swift will be performing on July 28 and 29 as part of her Eras Tour.

The airport is ready with friendship bracelets for trading and SJC goodies for sharing on Thursday, 7/27, in the Terminal B bag claim around 4 pm, while supplies last.

Summer Lit Fest at Kansas City International Airport

Here’s a great idea that would be great to see at every airport:

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is hosting a Summer Lit Fest with a pop-up event that will feature readings and book signings by Kansas City authors.

The event will take place on Friday, July 28th, from 11 am to 2 pm, at the post-security Turn the Page KC store.

Here are the authors participating:

  • Former Kansas City Mayor Sly James will discuss and sign “Mayor Sly and the Magic Bow Tie” written by Aja James and Audrey Masoner;
  • Jim “Stinky Feet” Cosgrove, author of “Bop Bop Dinosaur” and “Sullen Sally”;
  • Chris Meggs, author of “Twas the Night Before Tipoff” and “Go Chiefs Go”;
  • Julie Snodgrass, author of “The Search for your Best Furever Friend” and “Puppies on Parade”;
  • Christle Reed – “I Can be me in KC;” and
  • Crystal Everett –  “Mommy and Mari Move It.”

Astronaut band to perform at Seattle’s Museum of Flight

Bandella, a band made up of five former astronauts and guest artists, lands for two shows at Seattle’s Museum of Flight on July 29.

Bandella includes Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, who performed a solo performance video of David Bowie’s Space Oddity while floating in the space station. The four other astronaut artists include Cady Coleman, Dan Burbank, Ken Cockrell, and Steve Robinson, with Micki Pettit as the lead singer.

The concert will blend music with stories from space, plus a Q&A with the audience.

Did you turn off the lights for Earth Hour?

Millions of people and thousands of places did.

Earth Hour is an annual “lights off” event that asks individuals and institutions around the globe to go dark for 60 minutes to show symbolic support for the planet and raise awareness of the environmental issues affecting it.

Sure, it sounds a bit woo-woo. But Earth Hour it’s been taking place since 2007. And the level of participation is pretty impressive.

From the pylons at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the Space Needle in Seattle, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Tower Bridge in London, here are some of the places around the globe that went dark for an hour in honor of Earth Hour on Saturday at 8:30 pm (local time).

Let us know if you participated in Earth Hour this year.