Welcome toWilliam P. Hobby Airport

Passengers bound for Gates 20 through 23 at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) now walk past a miniature storefront that looks less like a mall kiosk and more like a jewel box. The wooden-framed shop, tucked in the concourse across from Gate 21, is topped with a bright yellow sign: Chalo and Co. Travelers dragging roller bags pause to study the display of colorful totes, mugs and pouches, and some linger long enough to buy one.Chalo & Co. is a travel-gift and lifestyle brand born of dissatisfaction. Danialle An started the business in 2010, designing for other companies while slowly growing her ambition.“When I used to travel, I would see souvenir stores that didn’t represent a city the way they should,” she said. “Every city, like a person, is unique. I wanted to celebrate cities in a different way.”Between 2010 and 2015, Chalo & Co. mostly did contract design work. But An believed there was a gap in the market. “There was space in the travel gift industry that wasn’t meeting the needs of people who don’t buy traditional souvenirs,” she said. “We cater to people who care about aesthetics, are passionate about their city and want something more elevated and fun. And it’s not just travelers. Locals are ambassadors. If you can excite the locals, they’ll excite everyone else.”The name Chalo comes from India, where An lived for seven years. In Hindi, chalo means “let’s go.”“I loved how happy people were when they said chalo,” she said. “To me it’s not just about travel. It means let’s go with life, let’s go elevate our city, let’s go do something. It’s powerful and playful at the same time.”Her little mascot, Chalo Man, will soon step into the spotlight. “He’s observant, good-hearted and a little mysterious,” she said. “He has legs but no mouth, because he transports his ideas through our products. In 2026, he’ll be officially launched. I think people will fall in love with him.”She could have sold magnets or postcards. Instead, Chalo became known for its bags.“Women love bags. They’re easy to pack and carry, and they feel more elevated than key chains or magnets,” An said. “I wanted to make a statement that we were different. Bags are functional, but they also let you show pride. When you carry one, you’re saying, I love this city.”At Hobby, that pride hangs on racks: totes printed like old boarding passes with “TO: HOUSTON” in bold yellow letters; pouches resembling stamped envelopes addressed to “Mr. Bush, 1837 NASA Road”; and oversized canvas shoppers decorated with comic-strip pigs advertising Texas barbecue.Opening at Hobby Airport wasn’t just another expansion. It was personal. An’s sister has lived in Houston for 40 years, and that local insight helped shape the first Houston collection.“We always do research before we enter a city,” she said. “We talk to locals about what really represents their home. In Houston, we wanted to start with designs people would immediately recognize, but there’s more coming. You’ll see bluebonnets, barbecue, space travel and hospitality themes. As we grow, we’ll expand into lifestyle collections with home goods, children’s wear and textiles.”The early lineup blends whimsy and identity: tote bags patterned with postage-stamp cartoons of Texas icons, mugs labeled like boarding passes,and luggage tags shaped like baseballs, cows in cowboy boots and rockets. Even the baby section nods to Texas swagger, with onesies reading “Rootin’ + Tootin’” stacked neatly on shelves.Chalo & Co’s kiosk at Hobby Airport officially opened on Thursday, Sept.11, 2025. The launch was emotional.“It took a while to get here,” An said. “We first started talks in 2022, but we faced challenges along the way. Seeing it finally open, I was so happy. We designed the kiosk to look like a tiny shop, not a mall kiosk. When the construction walls came down, the final result turned out better than I expected. The community at Houston Airports came by and said, We love it. That was so satisfying.”An is already planning the next stage. “We’re starting with gifts, but eventually Chalo will become a lifestyle brand,” she said. “In Seattle, we have children’s wear and home décor. In Houston, we’ll add more depth each season. The goal is to create spaces where people can surround themselves with Chalo products.”Chalo Man will be part of that future. “He creates curiosity,” she said. “When people see him, I want them to think, That’s Chalo.”Chalo & Co is woman-owned, minority-owned, and still a small business. Securing a spot inside an airport like Hobby is no small feat. For An, the opportunity is more than commerce.“It means representation,” she said. “It’s the chance for my design voice to show up in people’s lives and for local makers to be seen, to be carried.”Now, tucked among the departure gates, Danialle An’s products wait like stories on display. Travelers heading to Gates 20 and 21 grab a boarding pass mug. Families pause to point at a tote covered in stamp-sized Texas landmarks. Locals smile at the cartoon cowboys lassoed across pouches.Every sale is a moment of “let’s go.”

The sound hits you before the jet lag does. At George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), travelers are just as likely to be greeted by a trumpet flourish or piano solo as they are by rolling luggage and security calls. For a decade, Harmony in the Air has turned Houston’s airports into concert halls that passengers never expected but rarely forget.Launched in June 2015, the program began as a pilot in one corner of IAH — an experiment to see if travelers would pause long enough during their layovers to enjoy a live performance. They did, in droves. Passengers lingered in front of the stage, children danced and business travelers recorded videos to send home. That overwhelming response transformed a test run into a permanent program. And, guided by years of consistent passenger feedback, it grew from that single stage to multiple performance sites across IAH and HOU.Today, Harmony in the Air features more than 186 professional musicians and 26 ensembles spanning jazz, classical, gospel, pop and R&B. Performances take place daily in IAH Terminals A, D and E and in the rotunda of HOU’s Central Concourse.Since its launch in 2015, Harmony in the Air has blossomed into one of the most cherished experiences for our passengers. Time and again, travelers share how the music has lifted their spirits, inspired them or brought a touch of joy to their journey.It has also become the most complimented amenity across Houston Airports. No matter the traveler — international or domestic, business or leisure — passengers consistently take the time to send in feedback, praising Harmony in the Air as the moment that made their trip better. That volume of feedback is more than applause — it’s data. It has shaped the program’s expansion, validated investments, and proven that live music has a measurable impact on passenger experience.Passengers say it best. “Absolutely enjoyed the live music and musicians today,” wrote one traveler departing Hobby. Another called it “calming,” while a third said, “It was very relaxing and just good to sit in front of the performance before a long flight.” At Bush Airport, feedback highlights the program’s power to shift moods instantly: “Having live music through Harmony in the Air is such a nice addition… it made my day.”That chorus of compliments builds a portrait of Houston’s cultural identity as much as it does the airport system’s hospitality. The lineup is curated to showcase Houston’s breadth of sound—from Latin jazz combos to gospel soloists and string quartets. For some passengers, it’s their first taste of Houston’s creative soul. For others, it’s a reminder of home.LEARN MORE | Harmony in the Air at Hobby AirportLEARN MORE | Harmony in the Air at Bush Airport “At Houston Airports, we don’t just showcase art—we create cultural moments,” said Alton DuLaney, chief curator of cultural affairs for the City of Houston. “As Houston prepares for the 2026 World Cup, Harmony in the Air will share this city’s creative energy with millions of visitors from around the world. Travelers have choices in where they connect—we want them to choose Houston, where live music is part of the World’s Best Airport Art Program and where the culture of this city elevates every journey.”Passenger feedback makes clear this isn’t background noise — it’s a competitive edge. In a world where travelers can choose to connect through Atlanta, Dallas or Miami, Houston’s airports stand apart. Harmony in the Air, backed by a reputation as the World’s Best Airport Art Program since 2023, offers passengers something more than efficiency. It offers them an experience worth seeking out, a reason to choose Houston.The investment has paid dividends in recognition. Houston Airports is consistently honored by Skytrax, which praised the “creativity, vibrancy and identity” infused into the terminals.For musicians, the program is just as transformative. “We’re touching people,” said violist Whitney Bullock of Apollo Chamber Players. “That’s the power of bringing music into a place as busy and stressful as an airport.”Ten years on, Harmony in the Air is no background soundtrack. It’s a cultural signature, born from a pilot, expanded by data, and shaped by the voices of passengers themselves. In Houston, even a layover can sound like a performance worth remembering.

At most airports, passengers hurry past walls of beige and glass, eyes locked on overhead departure screens. In Houston, the experience feels different. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) have been reimagined into cultural spaces where global travelers stumble across art like they might stumble into a museum.Houston’s airports are the new museum.What began with a city ordinance that sets aside a sliver of the airport system’s budget for public art has turned into one of the most ambitious collections in aviation. In 2019, Houston Airports counted roughly 250 works in its collection. Today, the tally tops 400. That kind of growth puts the Houston Airports Civic Art Collection in league with civic institutions. Skytrax has taken notice, naming it the World’s Best Airport Art Program three years in a row—beating out the likes of Singapore Changi and Doha Hamad.In Houston, art is a strategy.“Our world-renowned art program is one of our most powerful tools to stand apart from every other airport in the world,” said Alton DuLaney, chief curator of cultural affairs for the City of Houston. “It transforms our facilities from places you pass through into experiences you remember.”Instead of bland beige corridors and stressful checkpoints, travelers move through bursts of color and sound. Dale Chihuly’s Coastal Fiori glimmers above the TSA lanes in Terminal E.David Adickes’ We Love Houston, Too, greets passengers at Hobby. Murals by Vargas-Suarez Universal and Graciela Hasper splash across walls in IAH’s new Terminal E, filling dead space with motion and light. And then there’s the music. One day a string quartet, the next a Latin guitarist or a country swing band. Harmony in the Air makes the concourse feel less like a waiting room and more like a stage.The program also brings working artists into the terminal. The Artist-in-Residence program has creatives sketching, carving and writing in the terminal, where passengers can watch. Curious travelers may walk away with a memory of a flight and the moment they saw a sculpture take shape.The results are visible and measurable. Travelers are now showing up early, not for faster lines, but to linger. In just seven months of 2025, Harmony in the Air drew more than 130 unsolicited compliments. With more than 60 million passengers expected this year, the exposure rivals the Louvre or MoMA. The difference? At IAH and HOU, the audience isn’t looking for culture. Culture finds them. A cultural collaboration with the Orange Show and its popular annual Art Car Parade has brought ‘art cars’ into the Ticketing Lobby at IAH Terminal A and HOU. Passengers are opening their phones and snapping selfies well before they open their airline app to scan their boarding pass.“Airports are the new art museums, and Houston is leading that movement on a global scale,” said DuLaney. “For many travelers, this may be their first encounter with immersive installations or suspended sculptures. We get to introduce them to the power of art in a place they never expected it.”That power is leverage. As Houston gears up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, every commission doubles as branding. Every performance sends the same message: Houston is not just a stopover city. It’s Space City. Art City.At IAH and HOU, a layover isn’t wasted time. It’s an invitation to sample the energy of one of America’s most diverse cities without ever leaving the terminal. And in a global aviation market where passengers can choose where to spend their hours, Houston has sharpened its edge. Art is the weapon. Loyalty is the prize.RELATED | IAH Harmony in the Air scheduleRELATED | HOU Harmony in the Air schedule