Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Head to an airport for sales, Santas and songs

Deals, Holidays, Shopping, , , , ,

(Yummy stuff from Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l Airport)

It may seem unnatural to blend a holiday shopping excursion with a trip to the airport, but this season many airports are working overtime to court you and your gift-buying dollars with prizes, promotions, festive décor, and lots of top-notch entertainment.

(A TSA choir -really- will perform at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

There are plenty of other reasons to shop for holiday gifts at an airport. Over the past few years, airports have been steadily upgrading the quality and variety of their concessions. Stores generally open early and close late to accommodate travelers’ wacky schedules. And many airports impose a “street pricing” policy, which means that the prices charged inside the airport must closely match the prices at local malls. Besides, if you travel by air, you’re already spending a lot of time hanging out in airports. So you may as well be merry while you multi-task.

Where are the best deals? At the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Sacramento International Airport you can pick up discount coupon books. Oregon’s Portland International Airport has a holiday festival with food sampling, demonstrations and a drawing for tickets on JetBlue. (You can enter on-line.) And check out the Frankfurt Airport’s Web site for a chance to win a big diamond.

There’s lots more information about airports offering holiday shopping specials and entertainment in my “At the Airport” column posted today on USAToday.com

New art exhibit at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Art, Exhibits, Music

A realistic bronze cast of a longhorn, 16 engraved and carved miniature limestone and glass chairs, an abstract sculpture created with textured cast aluminum and three whimsically painted sheet metal cats.

These are just a few examples of the multi-media art show in the latest exhibit at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

All the work is by native Austin artists and offers just a peek at what you’ll see at two upcoming local shows.

The art exhibit runs through January, but don’t forget that the Austin airport has live music in several spots inside the airport every week. Here’s where to find it:

• Highland Lakes Bar – 3:30-5:30 p.m., Mondays thru Fridays
• Lefty’s Bar & Grille on 6th Street – 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Wednesdays & Thursdays
• Earl Campbell’s Sports Bar – 3:30-5:30 p.m., Wednesdays thru Fridays
• Waterloo Records/Austin City Limits – 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Fridays

Enjoy!

(All photos courtesy Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

Austin airport displays treasures from the Wittliff Collections

Art

If you’re passing through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) anytime before October 1, take a few moments to check out the new exhibit installed in the pylon display cases between gates 7 and 12. They’re filled with treasures relating to writers, photographers and musicians, all on loan from The Wittliff Collections, which focuses on the cultural legacy of the Southwest’s literary and photographic arts.

Some cool items here, including:

Lonesome Dove set designs and memorabilia;

Manuscript pages from Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men and from his 2006 novel, The Road, which won the Pulitzer Prize.

A rare 1555 edition of Cabeza de Vaca’s La relación y comentarios, the first written account of travels in the region that is now Texas and northern Mexico.

A vintage camera used by Great Depression documentarian Russell Lee;

And pages from a songbook made by Willie Nelson when he was eleven years old.

(Photo: Pages from Willie Nelson’s first handwritten song book circa 1944, he was eleven years old. Also one of his first vinyl LPs with the hit, Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. )

(Photos courtesy Wittliffs Collection and ABIA)

Dress up at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Art, Events, Exhibits

A new exhibit at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport chronicles nearly 50 years of free summer music productions in Austin, Texas and includes photos, costumes, reviews and other items from Zilker Theater Productions.

Highlights include props such as bricks made of fabric, pie made of foam, and hats with mouse traps to secretly propel a bird into the sky.   There are also elaborate costumes designed by Susan Branch, including the “Dreamer Dress” (below) from the Secret Garden.

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The Zilker Summer Musical exhibit is on display through August 12, 2008 in the Airside West Gallery located behind the BookPeople bookstore across from Gate 11.

New exhibit at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Art

Next time you’re at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, take a moment to check out the new exhibit of black and photographs by Rick Williams.

Titled Working Hands, the images portray the rugged lives of the cowboy, the rough work of the west Texas oil field hand and the intricacies of the workplace for the high-tech worker in Austin.

The collection is on loan from Humanities Texas and is on display through July 28, 2008 in the Airside East Gallery, post-security, behind the Austin Article newsstand across from Gate 8.

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Hats off to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Art, History, Museums

Velma Ruth Boyd (1921-2006) of Longview, Texas had a deep passion for hats and, no doubt, a big closet.

Throughout her life she collected more than 300 dress hats, most of which ended up at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Austin, Texas.

Through July 1, 2008, a dazzling selection of Ms. Boyd’s hats is on display in the showcases between Gates 7-12 (post-security) at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Look for the “vermillion red hat with plumes of feathers,…a tan straw hat trimmed in white organza with a wide brim folded and curled back on itself like a mobius strip, and a pink summer straw hat surrounded with pink netting, ribbons and adorned with small faux flowerets.”

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Photo courtesy Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

No backstage pass needed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Music

During the music, film and media extravaganza known as the South by Southwest festival, or SXSW, pretty much every venue in Austin, Texas is pressed into service as a showcase for music from around the world.

This year’s festival runs from March 7th to the 16th. Much of the action is centered in downtown Austin, but some of the coolest events are only open to badge-wearing registrants. (Crashing isn’t that easy; I’ve been trying…)

But out at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, all concerts are free; all the time.

Each weekday throughout the year there are live performances on all four stages inside the terminal. During SXSW, the schedule shifts into high gear.

So weary travelers may be surprised to find themselves being entertained by some of Austin’s best musicians – and hoping for a flight delay.