For students in the Calistoga Joint Unified School District, the days of running on muddy tracks under portable field lights with one eye always scanning for gopher holes are over.

With a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, April 2, the district unveiled its modernized sports field at the junior/senior high school to enthusiastic cheers from students, staff and community members who sat in the new bleachers.

“This has been a long time coming,” Superintendent Audra Pittman said. “This comes after 10 to 15 years of our community asking for it. This wasn’t just a want, it was a need.”

The district’s 2021 facilities master plan identified the athletics field as an area “requiring special attention.” The field modernization project, managed by Fairfield-based Van Pelt Construction Services and built by Windsor-based FRC Inc., began in April 2025 and was completed this March.

Now, the freshly renovated field has artificial turf, a rubber-based track surface, and football and other sports furnishings. It features a newly constructed concession stand, a bathroom, bleachers that can seat 750 people, a wireless scoreboard, and a state-of-the-art sound system. Up next, it may even get a home run fence, some benches and additional landscaping work, co-athletic director Eric Heitz said.

The new field, district officials said, will protect younger athletes from impact injuries with advanced surfacing that offers better shock absorption. They hope the field will allow for consistent practices and skill development while fostering a sense of belonging and excitement about sports in Calistoga.

While final costs are still under review, the maximum price set for the modernization project was about $8.75 million. The district expects the total costs to come out lower than that, Pittman said.

The funds for the project were drawn from two school bonds passed by Calistoga voters in 2010 and 2022 to renovate school facilities. Measure A, passed in 2010, was a $42 million bond while Measure B, passed in 2022, was a $41 million bond.

With the new field ready, the district hosted its first track meet in 12 years on Thursday, April 2. Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School from St. Helena and Kenilworth Junior High from Petaluma visited the school to participate. On April 29, the district will host a high school track meet.

“The new field is beautiful, and it’s going to be a wonderful asset for the students here,” Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell said. “I’m proud of the community and school officials for making this happen.”

The field, located at the junior/high school campus at 1608 Lake St., will also be open for use to members of the community before school hours and in the late afternoons or evenings after student practices wind up. First priority, however, will be given to the students.

Community members were requested to follow all posted rules at the entrances regarding footwear and prohibited items to ensure the longevity of the track and turf.