BrightView Returns to Field of Dreams as Iconic Ballpark Enters a New Era

BLUE BELL, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 10, 2026--

When the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins take the field at the iconic Field of Dreams ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, on Aug. 13, they'll do so on a playing surface prepared by BrightView (NYSE: BV), MLB's Field Consultant, which built the field in 2019 and has maintained it for every Major League Baseball game played there since.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260807087596/en/

What began as an ambitious vision inspired by one of baseball's most beloved films has evolved into a permanent destination for America's pastime. This year's game marks a new era for the celebrated ballpark as permanent seating and fan amenities transform the venue into a year-round home for amateur, collegiate, and professional baseball.

Earlier this summer, BrightView also prepared the field for the inaugural If You Build It High School Series, the first event to showcase the venue's expanded future. From helping bring the Field of Dreams ballpark to life to serving as its ongoing steward, BrightView has played a central role in preserving one of baseball's most recognizable venues.

"It's incredibly rewarding to see how this project has evolved," said Murray Cook, President of BrightView Sports. "What started as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has become a lasting baseball destination. Our team has been part of this field since it was just an idea, and every time we return, our responsibility is the same: deliver a Major League-caliber playing surface while preserving everything that makes Field of Dreams unlike any other ballpark in baseball."

In the days leading up to first pitch, BrightView's Sports team will oversee every detail of field preparation—from precision mowing, fertilization, field lining, infield grooming, and game-day maintenance—to ensure the playing surface meets Major League Baseball's standards.

"Field of Dreams represents more than a baseball game," said Dale Asplund, BrightView President and Chief Executive Officer. "It's a celebration of the history, tradition, and enduring spirit of our national pastime. We're proud to have helped bring this ballpark to life and are honored to continue caring for a place that inspires players and fans alike."

Gameday Grounds Crew
Preparing for the MLB Field of Dreams game involves BrightView professionals and local volunteers working together to deliver a Major League-quality playing surface.

Leading up to the Phillies-Twins matchup, the venue will also host a Minor League Baseball game between the St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs, along with a local high school showcase.

This year's grounds crew will include 10 BrightView team members and 22 local volunteers serving on the tarp crew. Six members of the BrightView team are Iowa natives, underscoring the hometown pride behind the effort.

"This project has always meant a little more because, for many of our team members, it's happening in their own backyard," Cook said. "Having so many Iowans on our crew gives us an even greater sense of pride and responsibility. They know what this place means to their communities, and they're committed to making every detail count."

Field of Dreams by the Numbers

BrightView has partnered with Major League Baseball on many of the sport's most memorable events, including MLB at Rickwood Field, the Little League Classic, the Fort Bragg Game, the MLB Speedway Classic, and international series in Seoul, London, Japan, and Puerto Rico.

As players emerge from the Iowa cornfields once again this August, BrightView will be there behind the scenes, helping ensure the next chapter at Field of Dreams is every bit as memorable as those that came before.

Field of Dreams © Universal City Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.

About BrightView
BrightView ( NYSE: BV ), the nation’s largest commercial landscaper, proudly designs, creates, and maintains the best landscapes on Earth and provides the most efficient and comprehensive snow and ice removal services. With a dependable service commitment, BrightView brings brilliant landscapes to life at premier properties across the United States, including business parks and corporate offices, homeowners' associations, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, retail centers, resorts and theme parks, municipalities, golf courses, and sports venues. BrightView also serves as Major League Baseball’s Field Consultant. Through industry-leading best practices and sustainable solutions, BrightView is invested in taking care of our team members, engaging our clients, inspiring our communities, and preserving our planet. Visit www.brightview.com and connect with us on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Source: BrightView Landscapes

A BrightView team member works on the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. BrightView serves as Major League Baseball's Field Consultant and has maintained the iconic ballpark since constructing it in 2019.

PARIS (AP) — The U.K. and France are bracing for the fifth heat wave of the season, adding to an intense stretch of hot weather that has repeatedly sent temperatures soaring across Europe since May.

National weather agency Météo-France is warning about temperatures approaching 40 C (104 F) from Tuesday onward in southeastern France. And in the U.K., an amber heat health alert for most of England will be in place beginning Tuesday as temperatures are forecast to climb to 36 C (96.8 F) later this week.

Across Europe, the extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.

Globally, so far this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Niño — a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe — there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, scientists said.

Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extrapolar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.

That was partially fueled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the service said. The new average record for July is 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), which beat the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F).

But last month’s average surface air temperature globally was 16.90 C (62.42 F), making it only the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024, Copernicus reported.

In Western Europe, meanwhile, the average temperature record for the June-July period hit 21.62 C (70.92 F), Copernicus said, toppling the 2022 record.

“Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

“This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”

In France alone, heat wave alerts were issued for the first time on record in May, when more than half the country recorded new monthly temperature highs. The heat intensified in June, a period during which at least 5,700 more deaths than usual were recorded, according to France’s public health agency.

Météo-France said June 23 was the hottest day ever recorded in the country. Temperatures climbed as high as 44.3 C (111.7 F) in the southwest.

Two other heat wave episodes were recorded in July, amplifying a historic wildfire in southwestern France that forced 220,000 people to flee their homes in one of the continent’s biggest evacuation efforts since World War II.

Temperatures were slightly cooler in the U.K. on Monday but the country readied for its fifth heat wave in an exceptionally hot and dry summer, with half of England and all of Wales plunged into drought.

The heat alert warns that significant impacts on health services, including a rise in deaths among older and vulnerable people, are likely.

Two record-breaking heat waves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures.

Dazio reported from Berlin. Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.

People walk over a stone dam, that is normally covered by water, towards the "Maeuseturm" (mice tower) in the middle of the river Rhine in Bingen, Germany Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A firefighting helicopter releases water over a wildfire near Correns, southeastern France, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Clement Mahoudeau/Pool Photo via AP)

A pharmacy display shows a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in Paris during a heat wave, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard).

Vehicles cross the Rhine bridge on the A48 highway with a view of the low water levels on the Rhine, near Bendorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

A man walks on dried grass in a park, amid drought conditions in London, in London, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

People walk on a sandbar underneath the Danube's Margareth Bridge in downtown Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026, as the river, which runs through 10 European countries, has receded never-before-seen low water levels. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky)