The newest art exhibition at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA titled “Symbology” includes the work of six Southern California-based Latinx artists: Abby Aceves, John Flores, Dani Garcia, Amanda Kazemi, Ivan Virgen, and Jaime Zacarias (aka Germs).
The artists use pattern, color, iconography, and metaphor to delve into tradition presented via surrealist paintings, hyperrealistic drawings, and intricately crafted ceramic sculptures.
Look for this exhibition through July 22, 2024, post-security in the Terminal A Vi Smith Gallery, between Gates 1 and 4 and in the sculpture gallery in Terminal B.
The Stuck at the Airport team is always on the lookout for cool new amenities.
Here are a few we’ve spotted so far this week.
Bunnie Cakes Vending Machine at Miami International Airport
Bunnie Cakes, a popular vegan, kosher, and gluten-free bakery in Miami now has two cake-vending machines at Miami International Airport (MIA). Find them at Gates D21 & G15.
Have you seen us at the airport? ✈️ Your favorite vegan treats are now at the Miami International Airport at gates D21 & G15!!! Grab a treat for yourself or to surprise someone at your final destination 🤩💗🥳🎂
Halloween Story Time at Tulsa International Airport
Tulsa International Airport (TUL) and Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) host a free, monthly aviation-themed Storytime events at the airport. But October’s Storytime event on October 19 will be Halloween-themed, of course. This a great community-minded airport amenity.
John Wayne Airport Celebrating 100 Years
John Wayne Airport (JWA) will be holding a Community Celebration Day on October 19, 2023, to celebrate 100 years of flight in Orange County, CA. On tap in the terminal: live music, goodies, and giveaways.
The airport traces its history back to 1923, when aviation pioneer Eddie Martin founded a flying school and Martin Aviation, one of the nation’s oldest aviation firms.
To celebrate the one-century mark, the John Wayne Airport Arts Program has created an exhibition showcasing the history of flight in Orange County from the airfield’s inception to the present-day airport.
Included are images and information from the 1950s, when the airfield played host to drag racers and souped-up custom cars.
The exhibition will be on view at John Wayne Airport through January 2024, pre-security on the upper Departure Level in the walkway Gallery between Terminals B and C.
A growing number of airports make it easy for the non-traveling public to get visitor passes to the secure side of the passenger terminal.
That makes it possible to meet arriving friends and family at the gate or to spend more time with someone before they board a flight.
It also means that you don’t need to be flying somewhere to check out a new terminal, tap your toes to the live music at the airport, see some great art, do a little shopping, or spend time watching planes take off and land.
Each airport has its own name for the service and its own rules regarding how many non-ticketed visitors are allowed to be issued a pass each day they are offered. And at each airport that offers the service, passengers must still go through the security checkpoint.
The list of airports offering this great airport amenity includes:
For now, only 10 visitors are able to get a PSC Pass each day. And each visitor may request just one visit per month. But, as with the other airport gate pass programs, it allows non-travelers to surprise an arriving passenger at the gate or send someone off at the gate with a last-minute hug.
Did we miss an airport with a gate pass program? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list.
In the 1950s, when ‘hot rods’ were all the rage in Southern California, and John Wayne Airport (SNA) was officially called the Orange County Airport, sanctioned drag racing took place on one of the airport runways.
According to the Lyon Air Museum, an aviation and automobile museum on the west side of the airport, in June 1950 Santa Ana local C.J. “Pappy” Hart struck a deal with Orange County to use a portion of an unused runway for drag racing.
He promised to give 10% of the proceeds to the county. And the country’s first official commercial drag strip was born.
Racing was held every Sunday, from dawn to dusk, on what became known as the Santa Ana Drag Strip and continued until Sunday, June 21, 1959.
The Lyon Air Museum is paying tribute to those drag races with a new exhibit, Santa Ana Drags and Beyond: America’s First Official Drag Strip, running July 1 through September 4, 2023.
Bean Bandit Dragster
Joining the history-making drag racing cars on display during the Santa Ana Drags and Beyond exhibit is the famed Bean Bandit Dragster.
The Bean Bandits was one of the earliest drag racing teams and was organized in San Diego in 1949 to pool its member resources so they could afford to go drag racing.
Known for its Mexican membership, the Lyon Air Museum says the club in reality consisted of multiple ethnic groups, including Anglo, African-American, Asian, and Lebanese members.
“A few months after Santa Ana Drag Strip opened, the Bean Bandit Dragster was built. Within a short period, the dragster was winning races at Santa Ana Drag Strip, as well as all over California. The Bean Bandits went on to win hundreds of races and are still racing on the dry lakes, salt flats, and select drag strips where they continue their tradition of breaking records.”
