I won’t be nominated for any sports fan awards anytime soon, but when my mom and step dad bought tickets for our family to see the Charlotte Knights I decided it would be fun to get our baseball on. My husband is a HUGE fan of all things baseball, football and hockey – but we were worried about how our young kids ages 1 and 5 would do during the 9 inning family adventure.
With all the rainy weather we’ve been having this summer it wasn’t a surprise that it started down pouring as game time approached. We decided to pack the rain coats and make a go of it, but luckily the skies cleared and it turned out being a beautiful night. We ended up going to see the Knights play at their second to last home game in their old ball park in Fort Mill – in the spring of 2014 the Knights will be heading to their new stadium, the BB&T Ballpark in uptown Charlotte.
The game began at 7:50 after the initial rain delay – but let me share that our kids bed times are between 8 and 8:30 so we were expecting to leave early following an inevitable melt down, probably long before the 7th inning stretch. Then a miracle for daddy happened – our kids were happy, content and amused the ENTIRE game. I was speechless. Our son whose favorite past time is high shrill whining and wanting to roll around on a dirty floor was the picture of a baseball fan – sitting on our laps and watching the ‘business’ gleeful until 11:30PM when the game ended. The game was more than just baseball, they had ongoing games and activities on the field to keep the kids (and me!) interested.
I think our daughter’s highlight of the evening was the monumental sized cotton candy I let her pick out. My hubby was in his bliss, watching a live baseball game, Old Mecklenberg Brewery Copper in hand and cooperative kids. It was a really fun experience at the ballpark and even I (a self acclaimed sports Grinch) joined in the hooting and hollering as we supported our home team. Unfortunately they didn’t win, but it was a great game.
Immediately following the game’s conclusion they shut off the stadium lights and began one of the most beautiful fire works displays I’ve seen in my 34 years. This was a big time success in the family night out category and we are excited to check out some games in the new uptown stadium.
The venue isn’t stroller friendly, so I brought my moby wrap that E hung out in for a little while. I also brought several kid friendly snacks and sippy cups to keep them happy. The tickets range from $7-$14 per person, and kids under 2 are free. The Knights usually have afternoon games throughout their season, which might be more conducive for small kids.
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