On April 11th, the Charlotte Knights have their home opener…in their new home!
BB&T Ballpark, the Knights’ uptown Charlotte stadium, is located at the intersections of Mint, Martin Luther King, Graham and 4th Street in 3rd Ward, across the street from Romare Bearden Park. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 10,000 and a natural grass field. In addition to being home to the Knights, BB&T Ballpark will be home to events 12 months a year such as concerts, festivals, corporate and community events.
In a move near and dear to my heart, many of the food and drink choices at the ballpark will be local to North Carolina. Charlotte-based Queen City Q will be the Official BBQ of the Charlotte Knights and will be serving up their premier barbecue at locations inside the park. Just Fresh, which first opened in Charlotte in 1993, will open its 6th location in the ballpark to offer its healthy, fast and real food. Pepsi, which has the motto “Born in the Carolinas,” will be the official beverage provider, offering all Pepsi products, including Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Aquafina water and Gatorade. The Fuzzy Peach, a North Carolina-based frozen treats store, will feature delicious healthy desserts including frozen yogurt, waffle cones and cups, and more, all-year-round. Sahlen’s Hot Dogs, based out of western New York, will be the hot dog provider for the venue.
Baseball has a long history in Charlotte, dating back to 1901. In 1975, Calvin Griffith Park on Magnolia Avenue in the Dilworth/SouthEnd area was constructed for Charlotte’s baseball team. The park was later renamed Crockett Park, and Charlotte’s teams played there until an arson’s fire destroyed it in 1985. The team played in temporary facilities until it moved to Knights Stadium in Fort Mill in 1989. The last game in Knights Stadium was played last season.
I’m excited to see another fun, family-friendly activity come to Uptown Charlotte, giving us more to do in a walkable area! Interested in taking in a game? Check out the Knights’ schedule online!
Image: CharlotteKnightsAtUptown.com
