Hartford Athletic utility man Harry Swartz after the club's Dillon Stadium opener. (Luke Stergiou/New England Soccer Journal)
Editor's note: This story originally appeared in our August 2019 magazine
The future of Hartford coalesced on one hectic summer night. Civic leaders imagined a hub of activity and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to conjure this maelstrom into reality.
Every corner of the Connecticut capital buzzed. The Hartford Yard Goats hosted the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. Wiz Khalifa played at the Xfinity Center. ComiCon took up residence downtown in close proximity to a food truck festival. Even the local Fourth of July fireworks tempted suburbanites into town that night.
At the center of it all, Hartford Athletic took the field at a renovated Dillon Stadium for the first time.
