Dunning Field

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Dunning Field at Hawes Plaza is situated on the campus of New Canaan High School, located in lower Fairfield County, with easy access to I-95 and the Merritt Parkway.

Built in 1997, the stadium was financed by private donations and built on property owned by the Town of New Canaan with the approval of the New Canaan Board of Education. James D. Dunning, Jr. and Rodney A. Hawes were the two major benefactors, after whom the facility is named. The mandate from the town governing bodies was for the stadium to be self-supportive. Net proceeds are deposited in a reserve fund created to finance the future replacement of the Astroturf surface.

Dunning Stadium has played host to a number of Division I lacrosse and field hockey events, semi-pro football, professional lacrosse, and elite soccer teams. In recent years, Air Force, Brown, Colgate, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Lafayette, Princeton, Syracuse, U Penn, Vermont, and many Div. III schools have traveled to this unique neutral site to play to enthusiastic lacrosse fans from the New York Metropolitan Area. The seating capacity of the stadium is 3000 plus, and the Plaza features a full-service snack bar and heated toilet facilities.

Dunning Stadium is managed by a small team of dedicated volunteers and independently contracted support staff, and falls under the umbrella of the New Canaan Sports Council, a non-profit parent-run 501(c)(3) organization.

Key Features: Astroturf 12 surface, lined for regulation football, lacrosse, field hockey and soccer; 3200 seat stadium; Stadium Lights; State-of-the-art sound system; 40’ Fairplay Multi-sport Scoreboard with scrolling message board; Locker Room facilities with showers; Staffed Concession stand; Well-kept, heated toilet facilities; Press Box with filming platform; Cable TV coverage, local newspaper promotions; Reception/catering facilities available to rent at New Canaan High School (alcohol and drug free events, only); On-site parking

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