Events

Beer garden returns to Denver International Airport

Events, , , ,

DIA BEER GARDEN BEER GLASS

It’s Oktoberfest season and that means the return of the “Beer Flights” beer garden at Denver International Airport.

DEN’s beer garden will be open from 11 am to 7 pm from September 30 through October 10 and not only coincides with worldwide Oktoberfest celebrations but also with the city’s Great American Beer Festival.

In the past, DEN’s beer garden was inside the terminal building, but this year they’re changing things up a bit and holding the event outside on the plaza between the Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Denver International Airport.

Here’s how DEN’s Beer Flights works: The $10 admission ticket gets you a souvenir glass and 10, 2-ounce samples of Colorado-made beer.

There are more than 200 established breweries in Colorado and the state is home to over 10 percent of the nation’s craft breweries, so savor the carefully-selected samples from the 10 breweries which will be on site. (Each brewery will have two different beers to sample.)

· Avery Brewing – El Gose, Joes Pils

· Boulder Beer – Buffalo Gold, Pulp Fusion

· Epic Brewing – Tart ‘n Juicy, Lil’ Brainless

· Odell’s – Drumroll, Myrcenary

· Oskar Blues – Priscilla, Beerito

· Elevation Beer Co. – 8 Second Kolsch, Apis IV

· Tommy Knocker – Butthead-Bock, Pick Axe

· SKA Brewing – Steel Toe, Modus Mandarina

· Telluride Brewing – Bridal Veil, Wahcked Out

· Renegage Brewery – Pancake Maple, Consilium

The beer garden will also have live musical performances daily from 4-6 p.m., talks by brew masters, brew trivia, table games, giveaways and a Beer Flights “Passport” for attendees to make notes about the Colorado brews they taste.

Should we make this the airport amenity of the week?

Travel Tidbits: mariachi, dirndls & free cheeseburgers

Events, Food, Free Stuff, , , , ,

Some fun Friday travel tidbits for you today…

delta-shake-shack

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First – Sunday, September 18 is National Cheeseburger Day and Delta Air Lines will be celebrating with Shake Shack and giving customers flying Delta One on select flights from JFK to LAX a complimentary ShackBurger.

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But wait, there are more cheeseburgers: all customers flying from JFK to LAX on Sept. 18 will receive a voucher for a complimentary ShackBurger at the LA West Hollywood Shake Shack.

Not up for cheeseburgers? How about some mariachi music at the airport?

las-mariachi

Mariachi music welcomed travelers to McCarran International Airport last year at this time as well. Photo: Mark Damon/Las Vegas News Bureau.

McCarran International Airport is kicking off the busy Mexican Independence Day holiday weekend by welcoming passengers to Las Vegas with a special performance in the Terminal 3 international arrivals lobby on Friday morning by Mariachi Oro Del Rancho – a 19-member student band from Rancho High School.

Mexico is an important market for McCarran: from Thursday through Sunday, 41 commercial flights fly directly from Mexico to McCarran International Airport, including ten charter flights added specifically for this holiday weekend.

 

And Lufthansa is celebrating Oktoberfest season..

Trachten 2016, Trachtencrew

Keep an eye out for Lufthansa crew members dressed in special anniversary in traditional attire at many  passenger service stations in Munich and on some flights, including Munich to Shanghai September 20, Munich to Denver October 2 and Munich to Boston October 3 and, at the end of the Munich Oktoberfest, to European destinations  Belgrade, Birmingham, Cluj, Nice, Olbia and Sylt.

This is a Lufthansa tradition and over the past ten years the carrier has had different fashion houses design the yellow, blue and white dirndls.

This year’s costume is once again designed and tailored by the Angermaier fashion house, based in Munich.

 

(Dirndl descriptions: Outside and in the center: current anniversary costume. Other costumes from left: Traditional blue print dirndl from 2006, costume from 2009, dirndl from 2012 and the traditional dirndl from the 50s (2015 costume). Courtesy: Lufthansa/Stefan König)

Party at Pittsburgh Int’l Airport

Entertainment, Events, family travel, ,

PIT Trading card one

There’s a party going on at Pittsburgh International Airport this week, as part of a renewed commitment to celebrate the region’s local institutions, food, music and culture in the airport.

So far this week there’s been live music, visits by sports mascots, a display of (replica) Egyptian relics from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and a class in hieroglyphics. The Carnegie Science Center distributed liquid nitrogen ice cream, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum brought by some history displays and the Phipps Conservatory let passengers pot their own air plants.

The party continues today – Sept 15 – with a live African penguin from the National Aviary, button-making hosted by The Andy Warhol Museum, a steel drum band and free popcorn.

Andy Warhol Wallpaper at PIT

Friday, Sept. 16, the entertainment includes live reptiles from the Pittsburgh Zoo and a musical theater performance.

Sounds like fun!

Reno-Tahoe Int’l Airport sends “Burners” home in style

Events,

RENO BURNING MAN

Burning Man 2016 is over and Reno-Tahoe International is doing its part to keep the party going as more than 17,000 people make their way through the airport on their way home from the annual counter-culture art festival.

Burners returning from the playa bring bags covered in fine playa dust, so all checked baggage is placed inside a tub or plastic bag to prevent the dust and dirt from clogging the airport’s bag belts.

RENO 2016 BAG IN BAG

And because Burners were instructed to leave no trash behind, starting yesterday the Airport Authority put giant cardboard boxes on the front curb and extra custodians on duty to collect trash and keep the facility clean.

The airport has once again partnered with the Kiwanis Club to host a bike drop-off area where Burners are discarding bikes they bought at or brought to Burning Man for transportation on site. The Kiwanis Club refurbishes the bicycles and gives them to children in the community. Nice.

reno 2016 bikes

And artwork, including RNO’s own 15-foot tall mini Burning Man, is on display in the terminal to help keep the festival vibe going just a bit longer.

RNO's 15-foot Mini-Man is a replica of the giant sculpture burned each year during the Burnning Man festival.

(All photos courtesy of Reno-Tahoe International Airport)

Airport residencies: next big thing?

Art, Entertainment, Events, , , , ,
Brisbane orchestra

Courtesy Brisbane Airport

Airport residencies by cultural arts groups seems to be the next big thing.

Australia’s Brisbane Airport (BNE) just announced that a team from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) will be the newest Artist-in-Residence and will present six ‘pop-up’ performances in the international and domestic terminals, with three of these performances taking place before the end of the year.

Brisbane Airport started their Artist-in-Residence program last year and first up was Robert Brownhall, who created a series of works featuring different views of the airport.

https://youtu.be/_ZSOV8LW1fk

Here in the United States, airport artist-in-residence programs are happening too. This year, the Fern Street Circus is in residence at San Diego International Airport, so keep an eye out for an unusual number of Bozos.

SAN CIRCUS snip

Courtesy SAN Airport

PHL airport hosts Wii Olympics

Events, Sports, ,
PHL Wii

Courtesy PHL

The 2016 Rio Olympics get underway today and Philadelphia International Airport is encouraging passengers to share in the excitement by entering the PHL 2016 Wii Olympics.

The airport has set up a special area post-Security in the Terminal D-E corridor where adults and children can play Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on a 60-inch HD LED monitor.

The Nintendo video game will be available weekdays from August 5 to 19, noon until 2:00 p.m.

After competing in tennis, swimming and other sports, all gold, silver and bronze winners can step on the airport’s medal platform and pose for a selfie.

 

Friday photos: snaps from Oshkosh air show

Airlines, Airplanes, Airports, Events, ,

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Earlier this week I was honored to join Alaska Airlines on a special charter flight from Seattle to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for a one-day fly-in at the massive EAA AirVenture air show. The flight was on the carrier’s new 737 airplane bearing a paint scheme honoring Boeing’s centennial year.

Alaska Airline's Boeing Centennial-liveried 737 on the ground at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh2016_Harriet Baskas

The flight had an all-female crew and most all the passengers were women executives and women holding key positions at Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Boeing and Virgin America (which will soon become part of Alaska Airlines). Young women (and some young men) from aviation-oriented groups in the Seattle area were also on board – as the plane was headed for Oshkosh to be part of Women in Aviation Day.

I’ve got a story on the day post over at USA TODAY but in the meantime, here are some of my snaps from the day:

Aerobatics during the air show were a hit with the teens who joined Alaska Airlines for a special flight to EAA AirVenuture Oshkosh on July 27, 2017. Harriet Baskas

During the weeklong EAA Airventure Oshkosh, the Wittman Regional Airport air traffic control towere is the busiest in the world.

Some of the 10,000 planes on display at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016

WomenVenture events at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh celebrate women's role in aviaton. Harriet Baskas

Showing off his ride.. This tyke attending the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh may have a bright future in the aviation industry_ Harriet Baskas

PHL Airport readies for DNC

Events, Exhibits, Politics, , ,

PHL Betsy Ross Flag

Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Alexander Hamilton (characters…) are getting ready to hand out 13-star Colonial flags and otherwise entertain passengers when Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) welcomes the delegates, party officials, journalists and spectators traveling to the city for the Democratic National Convention (DNC), taking place July 25-28.

“Many of these folks will be traveling by air to Philadelphia for the convention, and the airport will be their first impression of the City. We want to make sure it’s a positive one,” said Airport CEO Chellie Cameron.

Beginning Friday, July 22, airport staff will fan through the terminals to greet and assist delegates. And volunteers from the DNC Host Committee and the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) will be in the baggage claim areas to help convention attendees.

Inside the airport, visitors will be hear The Sound of Philadelphia – a playlist of popular songs by Philadelphia’s own legendary producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

In the baggage claim areas on Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24, visitors will be treated to complimentary Philadelphia-centric Tastykakes and soft pretzels while Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and Alexander Hamilton hand out Colonial flags.

There’s more:

There will be a pop-up movie theater in the B/C bag claim, courtesy of the Bryn Mawr Film Institute and History Making Productions, showing short documentaries about the city’s cultural and innovative history;

Shops and restaurants will have special sales and DNC merchandise for purchase;

The airport’s landscape is getting a tidying up and taxis are being offered a free wash in advance of the convention;

And, to get ready for the departure of attendees on Friday, July 29, the Transportation Security Administration will have extra screeners on duty.

And don’t forget the art:

PHL Political pins

An exhibition – Philadelphia’s History of Presidential Conventions, 1848-Present (in Terminal A-East) highlights the 12 Presidential conventions the city has hosted. The 11th took place in 2000 when Philadelphia was the site of the Republican National Convention

CLE Airport & Superman welcome RNC attendees

Entertainment, Events, Politics, , ,
superman

Superman was created in Cleveland! This exhibit in CLE baggage claim tells the story.

Cleveland is hosting the Republican National Convention this week and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) – and Superman – welcomed many of the 50,000 or so attendees with art, entertainment and helpful information.

And now that everyone has arrived, the airport is getting ready for everyone to depart. This advice is posted on the CLE website:

  • The heaviest departure days for convention participants and media will be July 21st, 22nd and 23rd.  If you are also travelling at these times PLEASE leave early for your flight!
  • In anticipation of a very busy departure day following the convention on Friday July 22nd, we would highly recommend the following 5-4-3-2-1 action plan:
    • 5 Hours Check out of hotel; travel to the airport
    • 4 Hours Return rental car
    • 3 Hours Check-in at airline ticket counter
    • 2 Hours Be at the TSA Security Checkpoint
    • 1 Hour Arrive at the airline boarding gate

Plaza parties at Denver Int’l Airport

Events,

DEN plaza photo for event

They promised and now Denver International Airport (DEN) is delivering – with “Events at DEN,” a series of public events in the 82,000-square-foot open-air plaza that connects the iconic Jeppesen Terminal with the adjacent Westin Denver International Airport.

The canopy-covered open-air plaza is a destination on its own – with stunning views of the terminal tents, the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver, a variety of major public art installations and an easy walk to the transit center facility where you can hop on a train to downtown Denver.

Here’s what’s coming up:

June 16-26: Putt-Putt on the Plaza with a free nine-hole, Denver-themed putt-putt course from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily (weather permitting). On June 16 there will also be golf pros on duty offering tips, a golf simulator and other surprises from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

June 30: Film on the Fly – Live music from the “New Sensation” tribute band from 5-9 p.m., followed by a showing of classic aviator movie, “Top Gun,” starting around sunset. (Everyone gets free DEN branded aviator sunglasses.)

July 21 – Spirit of Colorado: day celebrates the rich Western Colorado heritage with a day of music, stuntmen, gold mining for kids, an old West photo booth, 4-H demonstrations, tastings from local Colorado distilleries, a mechanical bull and more. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Aug. 18 – Film on the Fly Aha! There IS an alien connection at DEN airport… An evening of bike stunt performers, a DJ, raffle prizes and more (from 5-8:30 p.m.) will be followed by a showing of film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

Aug. 20: A Wheels Up! Bike Celebration with a display of Colorado-made cruisers, electric bikes and innovative bikes, along with a Wish for Wheels charity build-a-bike station for kids living in underprivileged communities, a bike skills course complete with loaner bikes, raffle prizes, bands and more. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sept. 1: FISE World Sports Welcome Party: DEN is welcoming the extreme sports competition featuring freestyle BMX, flatland BMX, skateboarding and scooters with an afternoon of music, parkour and BMX stunts and autograph signings by extreme sports celebs. Hours: 3-7 p.m.