Live music, lots of people, good food and even a couple of show-stopping attractions will be a part of the upcoming community celebration in honor of Houston’s oldest commercial airport. Hobby Fest has all the makings of a great festival – only it is an intimate party for friends and neighbors of the 80-year-old airport.

The lineup for the community event won’t feature any major recording artists or flashy pyrotechnics, but it will offer a hefty slice of good old-fashioned American history.

“From the first group of Women Air Force Service Pilots, through the Great Depression, into the 21st century, the tragedy of 9/11, and the rapid passenger growth of today’s aviation industry, Hobby Airport has evolved and grown with the community of Houston. There really is an undeniable bond there,” says Mary Case, airport manager of Hobby.

The connection between community and airport is so strong that for the past 11 months Hobby has been the site of one anniversary celebration after another. There was the 80th anniversary banner unveiling, the student art contest inspired by the airport’s rich history, the temporary bird exhibit Faces of Flight, the anniversary gala, and now Hobby Fest.

This daylong event, scheduled for Saturday, November 17, 2007, is the result of a joint effort between The 1940 Air Terminal Museum, the Greater Hobby Area Chamber of Commerce, the Gulfway Rotary Club and the Houston Airport System.

Each wanted to honor the airport’s contributions to the local region and ultimately decided to work together in doing so.