MAY 15, 2025 — A proposed new flag for the town of Darien, Connecticut, is now flying in front of Town Hall, the result of a local high school student’s initiative to create a symbol that better reflects the town’s character and heritage, reports the CT Insider.
Darien High School senior Harris Cavanna designed the new flag after becoming interested in vexillology and the symbolism behind flags.
Cavanna said he was inspired by global conversations around flag redesign, referencing recent examples such as Minnesota’s 2024 flag change and New Zealand’s 2016 national referendum on its flag. He viewed flags as a powerful combination of “art and history and symbolism.”
In contrast, Cavanna found the existing town flag underwhelming. “It was essentially the town’s emblem pasted onto a white background,” he said.
Believing that Darien deserved a more meaningful and distinctive design, he reached out to First Selectman Jon Zagrodzky with his proposal.
“I was like, ‘There’s no way he responds, because I’m pretty sure he has better stuff to do,’” Cavanna recalled. “But he took the time out of his day to send me a really nice email saying, ‘Hey, you should come down and I would talk about this further with you.’ And we’ve been meeting ever since.”
Zagrodzky, who had not previously considered updating the flag, found merit in the idea.
“As long as it’s generally helpful and not going to be damaging to the town, if somebody really wants to pursue it and they have a passion… I like to facilitate,” he said. He later connected Cavanna with a graphic designer to assist in refining the concept.
The resulting design features a two-tone field in navy and light blue, with white seagulls soaring over Ring’s End Bridge, a local landmark, and includes the date of the town’s founding. The seagulls and bridge were chosen to represent Darien’s coastal identity and history, while the color palette provides a clean and distinct look meant to stand out on flagpoles.
The proposed flag is now under consideration by the town’s Board of Selectmen, who are gauging public reaction. While no final decision has been made, the flag is currently being flown on town properties as part of the evaluation process.
Image: CT Insider
