Charlotte Knights Become Guacamayas de Charlotte for Three 2026 Copa Games

Copa de la Diversión nights produce nearly 20% higher average attendance than standard Minor League Baseball games, a number that explains why the Charlotte Knights built an entirely new identity rather than repurpose an existing one.

The Knights, the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A affiliate at Truist Field, unveiled the Guacamayas de Charlotte on March 31. Three home dates are on the calendar for the new identity: June 13, July 12, and August 7.

The name comes directly from guacamaya, the Spanish word for macaw, and the cultural scaffolding behind the choice is extensive. Macaws hold prominent roles in Aztec and Mayan mythology, where they were tied to fire, light, and creation stories. Indigenous traditions across Central and South America cast the birds as messengers between the living and the dead. The scarlet macaw is Honduras's national bird; in Mexico, the birds are considered signs of good luck. Across Latin America broadly, they symbolize union and lasting relationships, which is precisely how the Knights framed their own mission: the Guacamayas identity is a pledge to build a meaningful, lasting connection with Charlotte's growing Latin American community.

The uniform palette follows the bird's plumage directly. Bright yellow, green, blue, and red form the color scheme, a contrast-heavy combination that reads as a deliberate statement rather than a standard alternate-night tweak.

Dan Rajkowski, the Knights' Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has spent more than two decades building the club's community footprint under owner Don Beaver. The Guacamayas launch is the organization's most visible commitment yet to Charlotte's Latino population and the kind of initiative central to how Rajkowski has run the franchise off the field.

The 2026 Copa rollout is the program's most expansive to date. Seven teams introduced brand-new Copa identities this season, with two organizations entering the program for the first time and five existing participants executing full rebrands. The business case is documented: in Copa's first four seasons, themed nights drove nearly 20% higher average attendance compared to non-Copa dates, with participating clubs also posting increases in merchandise sales, concessions revenue, and local partnership activity.

Each of the three Guacamayas dates at Truist Field will carry themed merchandise, special promotions, and in-game entertainment consistent with Copa nights across the league. The June 13 opener gives fans less than ten weeks to get their first look at the macaw-branded uniforms in action.