Crystal Flight Prepares to Fly Into the Sunset

Crystal City (Arlington, VA) – Originally landing on the streets of Crystal City in April with a scheduled departure in July, the Crystal Flight airplane statues experienced a “flight delay” due to the overwhelmingly positive response of the exhibit. The 50 unique and creative airplanes continue to be a big draw to Crystal City - adding color, interest, and people to the streets of Crystal City.  As a result, the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) extended Crystal Flight’s stay to showcase the successful collaboration between businesses and the arts and to maximize the joint investment made in the program. The planes will now take off at the end of October 2008.  Before flying off into the sunset, however, Crystal Flight has several stops to make. 

Starting September 29th, thanks to the continued support of project sponsor and transport superpower, JK Moving and Storage, the planes will be diverted to Crystal Drive, which coincides with miles 22 and 23 in the upcoming Marine Corps Marathon.  The presence of the whimsical statues, which inspired the artful Arlington mile markers, will welcome the 15,000 spectators and energize the 33,000 runners as they enter Crystal City, near the end of the long race.  The Crystal Run/Marine Corps Marathon “All Day Street Festival” is sure to surprise and invigorate both runners and spectators with art, live music, food samples, street activity and other family-friendly fun. The festival will culminate with the American roots-rock group, the BoDeans, headlining the Post-Race Celebration at 3:00 PM on the Crystal City Stage at 2200 Crystal Drive between 20th and 23rd Streets.

“Crystal Flight has created a lot of playfulness and buzz in the area, especially since Crystal City has such a strong history and connection to flight,” said Angie Fox, President/CEO of the Crystal City BID. “It is a perfect example of the arts and businesses working together, generating interest and delighting Crystal City visitors, workers and residents.”

After the race, the planes will move into a temporary “hangar” created inside the Crystal City Shops. Here art lovers, plane enthusiasts, and urban explorers can take one more view of the planes in a centralized, weather-safe location. The indoor show will culminate with a final Crystal Flight “send-off,” that will include a charity auction.  Each of the planes’ sponsors will designate a charity of their choice to which the proceeds of the auctioned sale of their plane will be donated.

Following in the footsteps of Artomatic and the three-year relocation of Arena Stage to Crystal City, Crystal Flight is another example of the BID effectively melding the arts and business to change how people see and perceive the area. This philosophy continues with the recent launch of Crystal Market, the first open-air art market in Crystal City.  Featuring hand-made ceramics, glasswork, jewelry, soaps, candles, clothing and other artwork from local artisans, Crystal Market, located in the 2200 Crystal Drive courtyard, is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11:30 AM to 6:30 PM until October 25th.  A special version of the market will also be part of the Crystal Run/Marine Corps Marathon event on October 26th.