How many airports can say they have their own theme song?
Rochester International Airport (RST) can.
On June 1, more than 1,200 community members gathered at RST for the airport’s first-ever Parking Lot Party, transforming a section of the airport parking lot into an outdoor concert venue complete with food trucks, lawn games, family activities and a live performance from Kasson native and NBC’s The Voice contestant Cori Kennedy.
The event officially launched the next chapter of RST’s Flocal campaign and debuted Kennedy’s new original song, “The Flocal Song.” The song and accompanying music video celebrate a simple message: “You don’t need to leave this town to get your wheels up off the ground!”
Celebrating the Start of Summer Travel Season
Originally, the event was planned to celebrate the launch of United Airlines service between Rochester and Chicago O’Hare. When the airline delayed the start of service until fall, RST chose to proceed with the event anyway.
“We decided to turn lemons into lemonade,” said Mary Gastner, RST’s Marketing Communications Manager. “Rather than canceling the event, we focused on kicking off the summer travel season with a celebration of our community and the value of supporting local air service.”
The result was an evening that felt less like an airport event and more like a community festival, with multiple generations gathering for games, cornhole, food trucks and great tunes.
“It felt like one of those classic Music in the Park evenings,” Gastner said. “People were singing along, dancing, playing games, and simply enjoying time together.”
The event also highlighted the importance of community engagement for the airport.
“Many people think of airports only when they have a flight to catch,” Gastner said. “Events like this give us an opportunity to invite people onto the airport campus, experience what we’re all about, and build a stronger connection with the community we serve.”
The Next Phase of Flocal
The Parking Lot Party marked the third phase of the airport’s Flocal campaign. The first phase introduced the concept of “Flocal” – that is, flying local. The second phase, “More Butts in Seats,” focused on the important role passenger demand plays in attracting and retaining new airline service.
Now, the campaign is evolving again.
Throughout the summer and fall, travelers will begin seeing additional Flocal content inspired by Kennedy’s song and music video, reinforcing the message that choosing RST helps create more travel opportunities for everyone.
Inspiring Future Adventures
The music video is now available on YouTube, giving travelers another way to experience the campaign and share the message with friends and family. Within a few days of the event, the promotional campaign had already generated nearly half a million impressions and driven many visitors to the airport’s website to explore travel options and search for flights.
The evening may have also inspired a future traveler. One lucky attendee, a 12-year-old who attended with his mother and sister, won a free flight giveaway during the event and is already considering a trip to Nashville.
For RST, that’s exactly the point. The airport’s mission isn’t simply to move passengers from one destination to another; it’s to help connect people to new experiences while strengthening the local air service that makes those opportunities possible.
Thanks to one unforgettable evening (and one very catchy song), the Flocal movement has a new soundtrack.
“Grab yourself a ticket baby, that’s the key, more butts in seats, more possibilities. Travel global. Keep it local. Flocal out of RST.”
