Inside Salt Lake City airport's Christmas makeover
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Polar bears and holiday displays at the airport. Photo: Courtesy of the Salt Lake City International Airport.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
Why it matters: Travelers may not realize the massive undertaking of decking out more than 500,000 square feet of space for the holidays each year.
State of play: Axios got a behind-the-scenes look this week at how the airport's maintenance crews prepare for the holidays.
- First up is a visit to a warehouse near the airport dedicated solely to storing decorations and assembling displays.
- Decorating starts after Halloween and continues through Thanksgiving weekend.
What they're saying: David Tingey, the airport's maintenance support manager, told Axios that seeing travelers express joy and take photos next to the displays makes the effort worthwhile.
- "We all get a little stressed when traveling, right? Even if you're going someplace fun," Tingey said. The decor "takes a little bit of that stress off."
- One challenge is transporting delicate displays from the warehouse, setting them up and taking them down without causing damage. A large ball ornament can cost up to $100, he said.
By the numbers: The airport budgets about $60,000 annually to maintain the holiday decor.
- The warehouse is 10,000 square feet and holds 4,600 feet of garland, 60 nutcrackers, more than 100 wreaths, thousands of ornaments and more.
- The marquee display — and the hardest thing to put together, according to Tingey — is the 40-foot tree at the main plaza. The tree includes 22,000 lights and 1,600 ball ornaments.
- About 1,500 to 1,700 poinsettias are grown in the airport's on-site greenhouse for holiday displays.
On average, more than 60,000 people move through the airport each day during the holiday season, according to airport spokesperson Nancy Volmer.
The bottom line: If you're traveling through the airport this winter, take a few moments to appreciate the holiday decor.