Atrium Health Ballpark

Atrium Health Ballpark anchored the wholesale redevelopment of downtown Kannapolis when it opened in 2020. Downtown Kannapolis, historically built around the Cannon Mills textile plant that closed in 2003, sat largely vacant for nearly two decades; the City of Kannapolis purchased much of the downtown property in the mid-2010s and launched a comprehensive redevelopment with the ballpark as the centerpiece sports anchor and the surrounding blocks redeveloped as a new mixed-use Vida district. The blocks immediately around the ballpark are new mixed-use construction with restaurants, breweries, and apartments. The North Carolina Research Campus — the 350-acre biotech research campus anchored by Atrium Health and David Murdock's life-science investments — sits a short walk away and is the city's other major anchor. Charlotte sits roughly 30-40 minutes south on I-85. The neighborhood reads as the most aggressive small-city downtown rebuild in the Carolinas of the past decade.

Plan to arrive about 45-60 minutes before first pitch — downtown Kannapolis parking is gentle on most weeknights and the closest lots have ample capacity even on fireworks Fridays. Atrium Health Ballpark opened in 2020 (delayed somewhat by COVID — the inaugural season was significantly disrupted by the pandemic-cancelled 2020 MiLB calendar) as the centerpiece sports anchor of the City of Kannapolis's downtown redevelopment plan. The Cannon Ballers nickname is a direct nod to the Cannon Mills textile heritage of the city (the team's mascot is Boomer the Cannon Baller). The franchise was previously the Kannapolis Intimidators (named for Dale Earnhardt — Kannapolis is Earnhardt's hometown and NASCAR heritage runs deep here) at the old CMC-Northeast Stadium; the move downtown and the rebrand to Cannon Ballers was part of the redevelopment. The Cannon Ballers are the Chicago White Sox's Single-A affiliated club. Mobile-only tickets are the norm. Bag policy and gate-open times shift season to season; confirm on the Cannon Ballers' site before going.

Atrium Health Ballpark opened in 2020 as the centerpiece sports anchor of the City of Kannapolis's comprehensive downtown redevelopment plan, replacing CMC-Northeast Stadium (the suburban ballpark the franchise had used since 1995). Naming rights are with Atrium Health, the Charlotte-headquartered hospital system (since merged with Advocate Health into Advocate Health). The Cannon Ballers — the franchise's current identity, rebranded from the Kannapolis Intimidators alongside the move downtown — are a direct nod to the Cannon Mills textile heritage that defined the city for most of the 20th century. The Intimidators identity honored Dale Earnhardt, the NASCAR legend from Kannapolis, and is preserved through occasional throwback promotional nights. The Cannon Ballers have been the Chicago White Sox's Single-A Carolina League affiliate since the 2021 MiLB reorganization that moved the Carolina League to the Single-A level. Capacity sits around 4,930. The ballpark is one of the most architecturally distinctive new MiLB venues, with a copper-and-red-brick palette echoing the Cannon Mills industrial heritage.