Denver International Airport

At DEN Airport: Flip board at Marczyk Fine Foods

Food, ,

The Stuck at the Airport food team was on hand at the recent opening celebration for several new concessions at Denver International Airport (DEN) out by Gate C64: ChoLon Modern Asian, Marczyk Fine Foods and Teatulia Tea & Coffee Bar.

All three offer great food and drink options, but we were charmed by the split-flap display board at Marczyk and some of the gourmet market items on the shop’s shelves.

Marczyk Fine Foods is a Denver-based specialty market and deli known for its farm-fresh produce, gourmet products and high-quality meats. Their new DEN outpost has a great selection of grab-and-go items, as well as fresh sandwiches, salads and snacks. Wine and beer are served in the sit-down area of the market.

The flip board over the deli counter not only welcomes passengers but is also loaded with some (corny) jokes; “because what harried parent doesn’t appreciate something to entertain kids when the plane is delayed?,” says Barbara Macfarlane, one of Marczyk’s founders.

Why do elephants paint their toenails red? (flip flip flip)

To hide in cherry trees. (flip flip flip)

Ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree? (flip flip flip)

See it works! (flip flip flip)

And why are elephants’ feet flat? (flip flip flip)

From jumping out of cherry trees!

Bonus foods to buy at DEN’s Marczyk shop

In addition to the fresh deli sandwiches you can order at Marczyk Fine Foods, there are shelves filled with gourmet items to eat right away or take home. We spotted gourmet coffee, roasted peanuts, marinara sauce and both olive oil and balsamic vinegar in lovely gift-worthy containers.  

Sleigh the Layover at Denver International Airport

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This holiday season there’s a special airport lounge for Santa and other busy travelers at Denver International Airport (DEN).

And you don’t need airline status or a special invitation to gain entry into Santa’s Layover Lounge at DEN.

Instead, it’s a holiday pop-up bar open to all temporarily taking over an existing bar on the mezzanine level in the center core of DEN’s concourse B.

Stop by and you’ll find Santa’s Layover Lounge decorated for the holiday season with festive decor, reindeer, a giant snowman and Buddy the Elf.

The menu includes holiday-themed cocktails such as the Winter Wonderland Cosmo, the Gingerbread Old Fashioned, the Polar Expresso Martini, the Feliz Navidad (made with tequila, agave, apple cider and cinnamon), the Mule-Tide Carol and the Pa Rum Pa Rum Punch.

There’s also a decadent hot chocolate bar with a buffet of toppings that includes peppermint and gingerbread syrup, Christmas sprinkles, whipped cream and tiny marshmallows.

Menu options at Santa’s Layover Lounge at DEN include breakfast sandwiches, sandwiches and personal-sized pizzas named for (but not made of) Santa’s dedicated team of reindeer.

Santa has been stopping by the pop-up lounge during his pre-Christmas travels. We just missed him on Tuesday but got a tip from one of Santa’s elves that he’ll be back on December 23rd from 4-6 pm.

Santa’s Layover Lounge at Denver International Airport is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Visit Santa’s Layover Lounge at Denver Int’l Airport

Holidays, ,

A pop-up bar dubbed Santa’s Layover Lounge is now open at Denver International Airport (DEN), just in time for what’s expected to be a record-breaking holiday travel season.

Lounge 5280, on the mezzanine level of Concourse B, in the Center Core, has been transformed into a festive holiday pop-up bar with decorations, themed cocktails, a hot chocolate bar and holiday-themed food.

Menu highlights include pizzas named for reindeer ( not made from reindeer…) such as the Prancer Pizza which has a brie spread, fig jam, prosciutto and arugula. Desserts include pumpkin pie and the holiday cocktails include the Polar Expresso Martini and the Winter Wonderland Cosmo.

“Selecting Denver International Airport to host my first-ever layover lounge was a no-brainer,” said Santa Claus, “Its geographic location, unique offerings and amazing customer service really are ideal.”

Holiday characters will be making surprise appearances at Santa’s Layover Lounge, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through Janurary 5, 2025.

As a nice bonus, Santa has partnered with DEN and Skyport Hospitality for this lounge and donations made on-site to the Make-A-Wish Foundation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000.

We’re nominating Santa’s Layover Lounge at DEN Airport as Airport Amenity of the Week.

Old Southwest Airlines seats = cool stuff

Art,

Southwest Airlines has been in the news lately for the carrier’s decision to end its open seating policy, add premium-style seating and begin flying red-eye flights.

So, it’s a good time to look at another Southwest Airlines seating story. This one is all about what the airline has been doing with old aircraft seat leather.

After a seat refresh in 2014, Southwest Airlines had 43 acres of surplus seat leather. Rather than throw it in the landfill, the airline created the Repurpose with Purpose program.

The ongoing program not only recycles and repurposes Southwest Airlines’ old seat leather, but it also provides employment, skills training and other community benefits.

Through October 2024 an exhibit at Denver International Airport (DEN) displays some of the diverse and creative items being made.

Look for the exhibit at DEN Airport on Concourse C, Mezzanine (upper level), and at Baggage Claim 1, East Side.

Free mini-golf at Denver International Airport

Events, ,

We’re not quite sure how we missed this, but Denver International Airport (DEN) is once again hosting a free mini-golf course throughout June.

The golf course is between the Jeppesen Terminal and The Westin Hotel in the pre-security area.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

DEN airport’s Park on the Plaza is also back in operation for the summer and looks like a great place to hang out before, after or between flights.

Travel Tidbits for the holiday weekend

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 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 18 million passengers at U.S airports over the Memorial Day travel period, which stretches from May 23 to May 29, about 6.4% more than in 2023.

If you’re one of the holiday travelers, here are some fresh art and amenities to look for at airports along the way.

Art at LAX Airport

It’s been about a year since LAX finally created an airside connection between all its terminals. That means ticketed passengers don’t have to go back through security to make a connecting flight in another terminal and can access all of the airport’s shops, dining venues and art.

Among the newest art installations at LAX is “Flora (Flores amplificati), by Laura Hull.

For the installation, Hull digitally manipulated and layered photographs of plant life commonly found in Southern California to create a digital mural printed on vinyl. Look for it in the hallway that connects Terminals 1 and 2 post-security.

Find a full list of all the permanent and temporary artwork at LAX on the LAX Art Program site.

(Laura Hull, “Flora (Flores amplificati),” Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports)

Beer – and more – at Bradley International Airport (BDL)

Beercode Kitchen & Bar has opened at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford, CT just in time for the busy holiday weekend. The gastropub is open in the Gates 21-30 concourse and is the first sit-down restaurant on that concourse. It’s open by 4 am daily for breakfast and has a lineup of local craft beer and other beverages.

Creatively Remade art objects at Denver Int’l Airport

Denver International Airport’s (DEN) newest exhibition, Creatively Remade: Upcycled Art and Design, features a wide range of art, fashion and functional objects made from materials that would have otherwise been discarded. 

The exhibit stretches through several areas of the airport, including Ansbacher Hall (before A-Bridge security), Concourse B East between gates B60 and B62, on level three of Concourse C, and east and west baggage claim.

Here are just a few of the pieces you might see.

DEN’s new Capital One Lounge +SFO’s newest exhibit

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Traveling to or through Denver International Airport (DEN) soon?

Certain Capital One cardholders and anyone willing to buy a $ 65 single visit pass can now spend their airport dwell time in the comfy Plaza Premium Lounge on Concourse A, on the mezzanine level near Gate A34.

Amenities include local artwork, plenty of comfy seating areas, private workspaces, phone booths, shower suites, a parents’ room, relaxation rooms, and plenty of tasty offerings for food and drink.

As with its other lounges, some of the dishes and drinks are very local. Here, for example, there’s a Colorado Ground Bison Sloppy Joe on the menu, draft beers curated by Cerveceria Colorado and some specialty cocktails created by Denver’s Yacht Club Bar.

(Images courtesy Denver International Airport)

SFO Museum presents Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions

The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is offering a new exhibit featuring the work of pioneering fiber artist Kay Sekimachi.

Her weavings feature a wide range of media and techniques, including on- and off-loom textiles, stitched-paper forms, and molded fiber bowls.

The exhibit, Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions, presents a retrospective of Kay Sekimachi’s extraordinary woven art from the collection of Forrest L. Merrill and is at SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1

(Photos courtesy SFO Museum)

Airports are ready for Halloween. Are you?

Holidays, ,

Halloween happens mid-week this year and many airports around the country took the opportunity to celebrate this past week.

The Los Angeles Airport Police (LAXPD) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hosted a Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event on Saturday (Oct 28) for the community with games, food, and decorated Halloween-theme police vehicles.

On Sunday, passengers at Denver International Airport (DEN) were treated to a parade of therapy animals from the Canine Animal Therapy Squad (CATS) all dressed up in their Halloween gear.

More Halloween events at airports near you

There will be lots of Halloween happenings at airports throughout this week as well. Here are a few to get us started. Let us know what we’re missing.

Fresh art at Denver International Airport

Art, ,

 Denver International Airport (DEN) is hosting “Perfect Patchwork,” a quilting exhibition showcasing the work of 100 artists from Colorado.

On view from through February 2024, the exhibit features quilts from The Rocky Mountain Wa Shonaji Quilt Guild, The Denver Metro Modern Quilt Guild, The Colorado Quilting Council, and The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

Visitors will find display cases filled with large hanging quilts, unique quilted clothing, and a variety of quilts in different shapes and sizes. Look for quilts representing the city of Denver, celebrating Colorado’s natural beauty, and featuring aviation themes.

You’ll find “Perfect Patchwork” at Denver International Airport in Ansbacher Hall, near the A-Bridge security, and on level three of Concourse C.

(Photos courtesy Denver International Airport)

Travel Tidbits from airports here and there

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Flight attendant unions mark an anniversary

Shuffleboard (!) at United Airlines’ new DEN lounge

Sheep at London’s Gatwick Airport

Formula 1 car at Schiphol Airport

Pancakes for a cause at Vancouver Int’l Airport