Posts in the category "Events":

It’s time once again for Earth Hour, an annual event in which thousands of cities, towns, homes, hotels and landmarks around the world turn off their lights for an hour, at 8:30 p.m. local time, to make a statement about climate change.

Even if you’re not into the “lights out” movement, the idea that places as diverse as casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, the John Hancock Tower in Boston and the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. will turn off the lights for an hour is quite impressive.

Some airports will be participating in Earth Hour as well.

For example, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the 100-foot-tall LAX Gateway pylons at the airport’s entrance will light solid green one hour before Earth Hour on Saturday, March 31. Then, during Earth Hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., the pylons will be turned off.

And in Chicago, O’Hare and Midway Airports will participate in Earth Hour by turning off non-essential lighting in the terminals, airport facilities and office buildings.

If you know of other airports planning to dim the lights on Saturday, please use the comments section to let us know.

Categories: Events
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Clinton National Airport? It could happen

The folks who run Little Rock National Airport, in Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT) have big plans for upgrading and expanding the airport.

And with those plans comes a new name: the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration will have to sign off on the new moniker, but at its March 20th meeting, airport commissioners cited the many contributions President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have made to Arkansas through more than three decades of service to the state and to the nation as the reason for voting to rename the airport.

“Hillary and I are humbled by the Little Rock Airport Commission’s decision this morning,” said President Bill Clinton in a statement. “We are grateful for this honor and for all that the people of Arkansas have done for us. And we look forward to many happy landings at the airport in the years ahead.”

While commissioners plan on changing the airport’s name, they’re going to keep the name of the airfield – Adams Field – intact. That names honors Captain George Geyer Adams, 154th Observation Squadron, Arkansas National Guard, a former city council member and airport advocate who was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 4, 1937.
This is, of course, not the first airport to be named for a former president. Others include;

• Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI) in Springfield, Ill.

• New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

• The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, Mich.

• Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas

Categories: Events, Fun Stuff
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No time to go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras? You could go instead to St. Louis.

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is ready to welcome the thousands of visitors expected to visit St. Louis for the annual Historic Soulard Mardi Gras celebration.

For the third year, the airport is hosting an exhibit of St. Louis Mardi Gras posters dating back to 1982. The month-long exhibit is in the Terminal 1 Baggage Claim and in the Terminal 2 ticketing lobby.

February 17, the day prior to the River City Casino Grand Parade, will be Mardi Gras Day at the airport, so don’t be surprised to find airport employees in Mardi Gras garb and to hear live music in both terminals.

The River City Casino Grand Parade takes place on February 18. The city’s month-long calendar of Mardi Gras events wraps up with the Lumiere Place Light Up the Night Fat Tuesday Parade in downtown St. Louis on February 21. For more information see: www.mardigrasinc.com.

Categories: Events, Holidays
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s Black History Month music series is in full swing. The weekly concert program features soul, jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues and takes place Friday evenings during February from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the airport atrium.

Here’s what’s coming up:

February 10: Charles Marshall “The Jazz Ambassador”

February 17: The Sounds of Essence

February 24: Satin Finish Band

While you’re at ATL, be sure to take a moment to visit the airport’s exhibit honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Located on Concourse E, the exhibit features photographs and artifacts, including the suit King wore when he met with President Lyndon Johnson, a radio he used to listen to news reports while on freedom walks and the robe he wore to accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

Categories: Events, Exhibits, History
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Seattle is not just a great place to drink coffee, it’s a great place to make and hear music.

And you shouldn’t have to wait until you’re in the city to start your aural adventure.

That’s why I’m delighted to learn that this weekend Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
will be kicking off the Sea-Tac Airport Music Initiative.

The program will include overhead music featuring local artists such as Fences, Beat Connection and Allen Stone, along with local legends ranging from Ray Charles to Heart and Nirvana.

There will also be safety and informational announcements read by local musicians such as Ben Gibbard, LeRoy Bell, Macklemore, Jerry Cantrell and Sir Mix-A-Lot, and video segments on the terminal monitors.

But wait, there’s more:

The project will include a web-based music player available via the airport’s free WiFi and an Android mobile app, that will offer links to the music playlist, videos and local concert listings. (iPhone, Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry apps should be coming soon.)

It’s going to be party-time all the time at Sea-Tac.  So I hope the TSA doesn’t start pulling people out of line for dancing.

I’ll have lots more information shortly, but in the meantime, here’s a video of some of the music you’ll likely hear.

Categories: Events, Music
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