airport entertainment

SXSW-bound? Start with music at Austin’s airport

March 12, 2017Harriet BaskasMusicairport entertainment, airport music, Austin, SXSW

If you’re headed to Austin for this year’s SXSW festival – lucky you!

If you’re flying to Austin for this year’s SXSW festival you’ll be able to get started on hearing great live, local music right away.

In addition to the 21 regularly-scheduled live music performances offered weekly in various spots in the terminal, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has added some extra shows to welcome arriving fans on March 13 and 14 and send them off on March 20.

Here are the extra shows:

Mon., March 13:
Akina Adderley (Classic-Soul) – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Jeff Plankenhorn (Blues/Soul/Rock/Roots) – 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Tues., March 14:
Miss Lavelle White (Austin Queen of the Blues) – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Barbara Nesbitt (Folk/Rock/Americana/Country) – 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Mon., March 20:
Jackie Venson (Soulful Indie Blues) – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Cornerstone (Reggae/Soul/Jazz) – 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

And here’s the link to the full music schedule at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

(Photo above courtesy: Sandy Stevens; Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

Party at Pittsburgh Int’l Airport

September 15, 2016Harriet BaskasEntertainment, Events, family travelairport entertainment, Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Int'l Airport

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.

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

Sounds like fun!

Circus arrives at San Diego Int’l Airport

May 10, 2016Harriet BaskasAirports, Entertainmentairport entertainment, Fern Street Circus, San Diego International Airport

It’s going to be a circus at San Diego International Airport.

Clowns, stilt walkers, jugglers and other characters from the San Diego-based Fern Street Circus will be performing at the airport today and then, as part of SAN’s new Performance Arts Residency, they’ll be sticking around for eight months to create, rehearse and perform monthly.

Full-on summer performances are scheduled for June 7 in the T2 West End Gallery, July 21 in T2 baggage claim and Aug. 19 in T1 post-security, but airport officials expect the troupe to be out and about in the terminals quite often.

“They are creating content inspired by the traveler experience, so they will constantly be visible, trying out new ideas and interacting with passengers,” said airport spokesman Johnathan Heller.

(Photos: Gary Payne)

More holiday events at airports

December 10, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, Events, Holidaysairport entertainment, free gifts at airport

Lots of airports are working hard this year to make holiday travel a bit less stressful, fun and, in many cases, rewarding.

The Food & Shops program at LaGuardia Airport has enlisted the help of the “LGA Snow Bros:” five high-energy holiday elves who will ride into stores and into food courts in Terminal B on their holiday sleigh to surprise random passengers by paying for their store purchases or giving them presents.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport CLE will have carolers around the terminal and visits from Browns’ mascot Chomps.

Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway Airports also have a full schedule of entertainment and surprises in store for passengers:

On Thursday, December 10 and Friday, December 11 from 2 to 5 p.m., passengers at O’Hare International Terminal 5 could have a chance encounter with a “Merry Maker” and receive a surprise courtesy of Westfield.

And on Friday, December 11 from 9 a.m. to noon, HMSHost Holiday Elves will visit restaurants in O’Hare’s domestic terminals and give away gifts to customers.

At both Dulles International and Reagan National airports, there will be performances by local schools and professional ensembles, strolling Santas & entertainers, photo booths & an opportunity to get a free gift if you spend $100 in one day in the airport shops.

More holiday events at airports soon..

Outdoor movies at Düsseldorf Airport

July 22, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, Moviesairport entertainment, Dusseldorf Airport, Outdoor movies

Düsseldorf Airport has brought back its popular outdoor movie program.

Offered weekends throughout July, “OpenAirport Cinema” has seats for about 500 people and is showing both blockbusters such as “Tomorrowland” with George Clooney to classics, such as “Pulp fiction.”

A giant screen is set up on the outdoor observation terrace and everyone gets wireless headphones so they can hear the dialog and the music.