DALTON, Ga., March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 21, 1966, the Houston Astrodome hosted a game that changed sports forever: Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, the first Major League Baseball game played on synthetic turf. That milestone is why March 21 is celebrated as AstroTurf Day, marking the birth of an industry and the beginning of a surface technology that has shaped modern sports for six decades.
kAm%9:D J62C >2C<D E96 e_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E92E 9:DE@C:4 7:CDE[ 2?5 pDEC@%FC7VD DE@CJ :D 567:?65 3J H92E 92D 8C@H? D:?46 E96?] (92E 3682? 2D 2 AC24E:42= :??@G2E:@? 7@C 2? :?5@@C G6?F6 3642>6 2 8=@32= 42E68@CJ 2?5 2 ECFDE65 D@=FE:@? 24C@DD AC@76DD:@?2=[ 4@==68:2E6[ D49@=2DE:4[ 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 2E9=6E:4D] ~G6C D:I 564256D[ pDEC@%FC7 92D 6G@=G65 7C@> E96 @C:8:?2= :?G6?E@C E@ E96 :?5FDECJ =6256C[ 4@?E:?F@FD=J 25G2?4:?8 DJ?E96E:4 EFC7 E649?@=@8J H:E9 2 7@4FD @? A6C7@C>2?46 4@?D:DE6?4J[ :>AC@G65 D276EJ DJDE6>D[ 2?5 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ\5C:G6? :??@G2E:@?]k^Am
kAmpDEC@%FC7 s2J :D 2=D@ >@C6 E92? 2 EC25:E:@?] %96 52J 92D 366? C64@8?:K65 3J E96 r:EJ @7 s2=E@? 2?5 E96 $E2E6 @7 v6@C8:2 2D 2? @77:4:2= 52J E@ 4@>>6>@C2E6 E96 2??:G6CD2CJ 2?5 pDEC@%FC7VD >2?J 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ E96 C68:@? 2?5 E@ DA@CED] p?5 E9:D J62C[ pDEC@%FC7 :D 9@?@C:?8 E92E =6824J :? 2 D6EE:?8 E92E C6AC6D6?ED E96 962CE @7 DA@CE :ED6=7[ 46=63C2E:?8 H:E9 :ED A2CE?6C 2E E96 r@==686 u@@E32== w2== @7 u2>6[ H96C6 E96 82>6VD 9:DE@CJ[ 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2?5 7FEFC6 4@>6 E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm~G6C D:I 564256D[ pDEC@%FC7 92D AC@G6? :ED A=246 @? E96 3:886DE DE286D] pDEC@%FC7 DFC7246D 92G6 366? A2CE @7 32D632==VD 9:896DE DA@E=:89E[ :?4=F5:?8 (@C=5 $6C:6D C6AC6D6?E2E:@?D 2?5 p==\$E2C 82>6D[ C6:?7@C4:?8 E96 4@?E:?F65 ECFDE A=2465 :? E96 3C2?5 :? 6=:E6 4@>A6E:E:@?] q6J@?5 32D632==[ pDEC@%FC7 92D 366? C6=:65 FA@? 24C@DD 7@@E32== 6?G:C@?>6?ED[ >2;@C 6G6?ED[ 2?5 9:89\G@=F>6 EC2:?:?8 724:=:E:6D H96C6 4@?D:DE6?E A6C7@C>2?46 2?5 5FC23:=:EJ 2C6 ?@?\?68@E:23=6]k^Am
kAm%96 C6249 8@6D H6== 36J@?5 AC6>:6C DE25:F>D] uC@> 6=:E6 7:6=5 9@4<6J 6?G:C@?>6?ED E92E 56>2?5 AC64:D:@? 2?5 DA665 E@ :?E6C?2E:@?2= 4@>A6E:E:@?D H9@ 92G6 9@DE65 8=@32= 6G6?ED =:<6 (@C=5 rFAD] $J?E96E:4 DFC7246D 92G6 364@>6 6DD6?E:2= E@ >@56C? DA@CE 2?5 pDEC@%FC7 C6>2:?D 2 8@\E@ D@=FE:@? 7@C @C82?:K2E:@?D E92E ?665 C6=:23:=:EJ[ C6A62E23:=:EJ[ 2?5 A6C7@C>2?46 2E D42=6]k^Am
kAmpD pDEC@%FC7 s2J 46=63C2E6D e_ J62CD[ E96 7@4FD C6>2:?D 7@CH2C5] %96 D2>6 DA:C:E E92E 4C62E65 E96 7:CDE DJ?E96E:4 7:6=5 4@?E:?F6D E@ 5C:G6 H92E 4@>6D ?6IEi DFC7246D 6?8:?66C65 7@C 2E9=6E6 6IA6C:6?46[ 3F:=E 7@C =@?8\E6C> FD6[ 2?5 56D:8?65 E@ >66E E96 6IA64E2E:@?D @7 E96 >@56C? DA@CED H@C=5] pDEC@%FC7 s2J :D ?@E ;FDE 2 >:=6DE@?6] xE :D 2 C6>:?56C E92E E96 :?5FDECJVD 7FEFC6 :D DE:== 36:?8 3F:=E[ @?6 7:6=5 2E 2 E:>6]k^Am
kAmp3@FE pDEC@%FC7kDFAm®k^DFAm r@CA@C2E:@?k^Am
kAmpDEC@%FC7kDFAm®k^DFAm r@CA@C2E:@? :D E96 @C:8:?2= :?G6?E@C 2?5 :??@G2E@C @7 DJ?E96E:4 DA@CED DFC724:?8[ =625:?8 E96 :?5FDECJ 7@C e_ J62CD] z?@H? 7@C A:@?66C:?8 DFC724:?8 D@=FE:@?D[ pDEC@%FC7kDFAm®k^DFAm r@CA@C2E:@? 56=:G6CD :??@G2E:G6 AC@5F4ED 7@4FD65 @? A6C7@C>2?46[ D276EJ[ 2?5 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?JVD A@CE7@=:@ :?4=F56D pDEC@%FC7kDFAm®k^DFAm 7:6=5D[ E96 ECFDE65 ?2>6 :? DJ?E96E:4 EFC7j #6<@CE2?kDFAm®k^DFAm EC24<D[ E96 36?49>2C< 7@C 6=:E6 CF??:?8 DFC7246Dj {2J<@=5kDFAm®k^DFAm 4@FCED[ E96 AC6>:6C 49@:46 7@C E6??:D 2?5 >F=E:\DA@CE 4@FCE A=2Jj 2?5 $*}{2H?kDFAm®k^DFAm[ E96 :?5FDECJ =6256C :? C6D:56?E:2= 2?5 4@>>6C4:2= =2?5D42A:?8 D@=FE:@?D] %96D6 AC@5F4ED 2C6 E96 @C:8:?2= 3C2?5D :? E96:C C6DA64E:G6 42E68@C:6D 2?5 D6E E96 DE2?52C5 7@C BF2=:EJ 2?5 :??@G2E:@? :? DA@CED 2?5 C64C62E:@?2= DFC724:?8]k^Am
kAmpDEC@%FC7kDFAmUC68jk^DFAm :D 565:42E65 E@ 4C62E:?8 H@C=5\4=2DD DA@CED 2?5 C64C62E:@?2= 6?G:C@?>6?ED E92E :?DA:C6 2E9=6E6D 2?5 6=6G2E6 4@>>F?:E:6D] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^2DEC@EFC7]4@>Qm2DEC@EFC7]4@>k^2m]k^Am
kAm|65:2 r@?E24Ei k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i{:2>]<:DD:?86Co2DEC@EFC7]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm{:2>]<:DD:?86Co2DEC@EFC7]4@>k^2mk^Am
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?l}*_f`daU2>AjD5la_ae\_b\a_Q ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^E96\:4@?\E92E\:?G6?E65\E96\:?5FDECJ\46=63C2E6D\2DEC@EFC7\52J\b_af`bbc`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^E96\:4@?\E92E\:?G6?E65\E96\:?5FDECJ\46=63C2E6D\2DEC@EFC7\52J\b_af`bbc`]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt pDEC@%FC7k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5l}*_f`daU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_ba_`a_`!#0}t($0&$!#00000}*_f`daU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_ba_Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
