Starting tomorrow, November 6, the front lawn of Notre Dame Catholic School at 1095 Commercial Way fills with American flags, and they stay up through Sunday, November 15. This is the tenth year of the Field of Honor display, and admission is free.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. The field's ceremony is two days later, on Friday, November 13, at 9 a.m. The last date on the field's calendar is Monday the 16th, when the flags people paid to take home are handed back to them. If you plan around the 11th alone, you'll miss most of what's happening.
Ten days on the front lawn
The school's Field of Honor page describes the display like this:
"This breathtaking tribute will feature over a hundred American flags flying atop 8-foot poles"
Healing Field, the national organization behind Field of Honor displays, describes the same lawn as "hundreds" of flags. Its listing also names Joe Monticciolo as project chair, with Teresa Barkley and Gabrielle Wilt as co-project chairs. The display honors veterans, active-duty military, first responders and others who serve, and visitors are invited to walk among the flags.
The display runs for ten days, so you don't need a special trip. If you drive Commercial Way to the store or to work, the field will be there on any of those days. The school lists viewing by date, not by hour, so check the Field of Honor page for hours and parking before you plan a walk-through.
How a name ends up on a flagpole
Every flag on the lawn has been paid for by someone, and how they paid decides what happens to the flag when the display ends. The school's flag form offers two options:
- Sponsor a flag for $40. The flag is dedicated to your honoree and stays with the school after the event. You may keep its tag.
- Purchase a flag for $50. The flag is dedicated the same way, and you take it home afterward. Pickup is November 16, from 9 a.m. to noon.
The form asks for the honoree's name, service rank and branch. It lets you mark the dedication as "in honor" or "in memory," and you can add a photo or a short biography for the display's memory and honor wall. The $10 difference between the two options buys the flag itself. With the $50 option, the flag that flew on Commercial Way for ten days comes home with you.
Local businesses can sponsor at five levels:
| Sponsorship level | Amount |
|---|---|
| Community | $250 |
| Liberty | $350 |
| Independence | $500 |
| Freedom | $1,000 |
| Field Sponsor | $2,000 |
According to the school, proceeds benefit Notre Dame Catholic School, and a donation also goes to a local veteran or first-responder charity. The school's page also thanks the sponsors of its 2025 event.
The ceremony lands on Friday the 13th
The school lists its Veterans Day Ceremony for Friday, November 13, 2026, at 9 a.m., and says all are welcome. The City of Brooksville included the "10th Annual Field of Honor Ceremony" at the same address and time in its October 6 notice of community events that council members may attend.
Last year the field's main day also fell on a Friday after Veterans Day. The Hernando Sun covered the 2025 Field of Honor held Friday, November 14, 2025, and the headline called it a week rather than a day. That gives Spring Hill two separate dates. Wednesday the 11th is the federal holiday. Friday the 13th is the morning the community gathers at the flags.
If you want somewhere quiet to stop on the 11th itself, Veterans Memorial Park is at 12254 Spring Hill Dr. By then the field on Commercial Way will have been up for five days, with four still to go.
Everything else inside the window
The ten days of the display overlap with several other dates on the local calendar. Some are about service and history. Others are a regular night out that happens to fall during the same stretch.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6, 10 a.m.–noon | Cupola and bell dedication, Countryman Family One-Room Schoolhouse | 66 Russell Street, Brooksville |
| Fri., Nov. 6 – Sun., Nov. 15 | Field of Honor display, free | 1095 Commercial Way, Spring Hill |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day | Veterans Memorial Park, 12254 Spring Hill Dr. |
| Fri., Nov. 13, 9 a.m. | Field of Honor Veterans Day Ceremony | 1095 Commercial Way |
| Sat., Nov. 14, 7–8:30 p.m. | Spring Hill Comedy Night with Carmen Ciricillo | 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd. |
| Mon., Nov. 16, 9 a.m.–noon | Pickup for purchased flags | Notre Dame Catholic School |
The schoolhouse dedication is the same morning the flags go up. The Hernando Sun's event listing says it includes a new Seminole Indian display and refreshments. Florida's Adventure Coast describes it as the final phase of construction on the one-room schoolhouse's cupola. If you do both, finish in Brooksville by noon and then head down to Commercial Way. You'll see a newly finished piece of county history and a freshly planted field of flags in one trip.
Comedy Night lands the day after the ceremony and the day before the display closes. It's listed on the Florida's Adventure Coast events calendar.
When the flags come down, Christmas starts on Northcliffe
The field's last date, Monday the 16th, is also where Spring Hill's calendar switches to Christmas. Five days later, Sherwood Florist at 11060 Northcliffe Blvd. holds its annual Christmas Open House on Saturday, November 21. This year marks the shop's 40th year in business, and the event is themed on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The shop's event listing includes:
- Photos with Ebenezer Scrooge and Christmas Spirit visitors
- Free flowers for all attendees while supplies last
- Sales on select Christmas giftware and discounts on fresh flowers bought that day
- Duck Donuts and JACO Coffee vendors on-site, with treats and coffee for purchase
The event is free, and Sherwood says to expect a wait in its parking lot while earlier guests shop. The shop also asks guests to let them know if someone in their group can't stand outside, since it has a limited number of chairs. The calendar listing runs from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The season continues on Spring Hill Drive. Tidal Brewing at 14311 Spring Hill Dr. holds its ninth annual Christkindlmarket, also called the Grove Market, on Sunday, December 13, according to Florida's Adventure Coast's annual events page. The market's listing mentions vendors, gifts, food, live music and beer releases.
The Field of Honor is in its tenth year, Sherwood is marking its fortieth, and Tidal's market is on its ninth. All three come from people who have kept the same event going in the same place for years. For a Spring Hill household, the plan from here to mid-December looks like this. Walk the field any day through the 15th. Be on Commercial Way at 9 a.m. on Friday the 13th for the ceremony. Pick up a purchased flag between 9 and noon on the 16th. Then line up on Northcliffe Blvd. on the 21st.
Dates like these are part of what makes Hernando County home. If a November walk past the flags on Commercial Way has you thinking about your next move here, or about what your current home is worth, Kimberly Pye can help with both, from local market numbers to getting your home ready to list. Schedule your free consultation & home valuation.
