WinterWorld wants to be Richmond's Rockefeller Center
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A rendering of the light tunnel. Image: Courtesy of 804Live
CarMax Park will transform into a winter wonderland this fall, complete with an ice skating rink, ice slide, Ferris wheel and more than a million lights, the Richmond Flying Squirrels announced this week.
Why it matters: The $2 million-plus attraction is the team's biggest bet yet on turning CarMax Park into a year-round destination.
State of play: WinterWorld is intended to be Richmond's version of Rockefeller Center and draw visitors from across the East Coast, Squirrels owner Lou DiBella said at a Wednesday news conference.
- DiBella says he's been kicking around the idea for years, and that the team and the park's events arm, 804Live, have spent the last year bringing it to life.
- The vision — and cost — for WinterWorld is ambitious, but DiBella framed it as a gift to the city from the team.
By the numbers: The team will need 65,000 to 70,000 visitors to break even but are aiming for 100,000 in the first year, DiBella said.
- They're prepared to lose money initially if it helps establish a new holiday tradition for Richmonders.
- The event also helps fulfill the team's lease requirement to produce offseason community events. Paid offseason events are also important for generating the revenue needed to cover the team's annual $3.2 million rent payment, he added.
Zoom out: The announcement comes amid tensions between the Squirrels' ownership group and the developer for the Diamond District neighborhood rising around the park, and lawsuits between DiBella and lead Diamond District developer Jason Guillot.
- Roadwork for the development was slated to begin in mid-October during the team's offseason, but the team's ownership pushed back on the schedule in June, saying it would interfere with plans for holiday programming at CarMax Park, The Richmonder reported.
- DiBella declined to discuss any ongoing disputes at Wednesday's news conference.
The other side: Diamond District developers and the city tell Axios they're working together to keep the redevelopment work on track without disrupting the Squirrels' off-season events.
- "We look forward to taking our families to WinterWorld and believe that this will be a fantastic event for all of Richmond," Guillot said.
Zoom in: WinterWorld will run Nov. 18–Jan. 3 and include:
- 12,500-square-foot ice skating pond
- 90-foot light tunnel
- 80- to 100-foot, six-lane ice slide
- 60-foot Ferris wheel
- Christmas tree maze
- 21+ sub-zero ice bar
- Kids activities, local vendors, live entertainment and spaces for holiday rentals
Plus: What DiBella says will be the largest live Christmas tree in Virginia.
What we're watching: Admission prices haven't been finalized, but DiBella said visitors will likely pay a flat entry fee with optional add-ons for ice skating and the slide.
- They're also planning to give out 5,000 free tickets.
What's next: Attendees of Friday's Squirrels home game will get to see a video preview of WinterWorld as part of the team's Christmas in July theme.