‘Turn this ballpark into Christmastown’: Squirrels unveil plan for 39-day WinterWorld attraction at CarMax Park
As a New Yorker, Richmond Flying Squirrels owner Lou DiBella says he’s always had a soft spot for Rockefeller Center at Christmastime.
Later this year, DiBella and his entertainment team are planning to bring a similar holiday vibe to CarMax Park with a 39-day attraction they’ve dubbed WinterWorld.
The offseason event will feature more than a million lights, a 12,500 square foot ice rink for skating, a six-lane ice slide, a tree maze, a Ferris wheel and what organizers promise will be the tallest live Christmas tree in Richmond. There will also be holiday-themed shopping, food and drink options.
Appearing in a Santa Claus getup to announce the event Wednesday as gusts of artificial snow fell from the ceiling, DiBella said he considers WinterWorld “a present to the fans that helped us get this ballpark built.”
“I wanted to turn this ballpark into Christmastown, USA,” said DiBella, the managing partner of Squirrels parent company Navigators Baseball.
DiBella said the event is expected to cost millions of dollars to produce, without giving a precise figure. If it attracts 65,000 to 70,000 visitors in its first year, DiBella said, it has a chance to break even. But, he added, he’s hoping for closer to 100,000.
“Honestly, 39 days and 39 nights of this is a tremendous amount of work and costs a tremendous amount of money,” DiBella said. “But I love Christmas. I actually love the people of this town. I love our fans.”
The Flying Squirrels released a video showing their ideas for WinterWorld. NOTE: This video was generated using artificial intelligence.
The WinterWorld announcement is the most elaborate offseason event announced so far for the minor-league ballpark that opened in April. As the anchor of the city’s broader, 63-acre Diamond District redevelopment project, both the city and the Squirrels have a financial interest in the new venue getting as much use as possible, even in the winter months.
WinterWorld will run from Nov. 18 through Jan. 3, according to the announcement.
“It’s going to be an amazing place for people to make memories from November through the end of the year,” said former Squirrels CEO Todd “Parney” Parnell. “Richmond deserves a signature holiday destination. And this is going to be it, right here at CarMax Park.”
Exact details on pricing were not immediately available. Organizers said they’re planning to partner with nonprofits to give away 5,000 free tickets.
WinterWorld is being put on by 804Live, the DiBella-affiliated company that facilitates non-baseball events at CarMax Park. Chris Yancey, president of 804Live, said there have already been more than 40 non-baseball events at the ballpark, ranging from business meetings to class reunions to wedding receptions.
“The vision for CarMax Park was always to be not just an incredible place to cheer for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, but to be a year-round venue, a place that the Richmond community could come, could gather and celebrate,” said Chris Yancey, president of 804Live.
The event’s presenting sponsor is SERVPRO, a cleanup and restoration services company.
WinterWorld will require the baseball field to be “ripped apart,” DiBella said, but it will be re-sodded after the event is over to prepare for baseball to resume next spring.
DiBella said he hopes the winter event will be a local holiday tradition for years to come.
“The intent for year one is to make this as spectacular for our community, for the people of Richmond, as we can,” DiBella said. “And I know that we can.”
The plan is expected to be announced directly to Squirrels fans at Friday evening’s home game, which will have a “Christmas in July” theme.
Questions linger about impact of planned construction
The WinterWorld announcement came at a time of high tension over how the Diamond District project is progressing. DiBella and a team of lawyers representing him have expressed frustration over the handling of the project, saying it has so far led to a new ballpark with little around it but construction sites.
No city government officials spoke at Wednesday’s event, even though CarMax Park is owned by the Richmond Economic Development Authority.
The city and the Diamond District’s lead developer, Thalhimer Realty Partners, have plans to do construction work outside the ballpark’s main entrance once the baseball season ends in September. In a letter sent to city officials last month, a lawyer for DiBella objected to the planned road and infrastructure work near the entrance, saying it could interfere with offseason plans for WinterWorld and other events expected to draw large crowds.
Graham Moomaw
The dispute over the finer details of the Diamond District project and who should control which parcels of land led to a heated encounter this spring between DiBella and Thalhimer developer Jason Guillot. That showdown, which occurred in April on the ballpark’s opening night, led DiBella to file a defamation lawsuit against Guillot that claimed a hostile exchange of words had been falsely blown up into a rumored death threat. Thalhimer fired back by calling the lawsuit baseless and essentially accusing DiBella of engaging in aggressive and unprofessional behavior.
Speaking with reporters after Wednesday’s announcement, DiBella said it was up to the city to answer questions about how the construction work would or wouldn’t impact the WinterWorld plan.
“For years, when this park was in discussion, all I heard was we need to generate income all year round,” DiBella said, adding he has “a hard time believing anyone would close down our front entrance.”
Because the Diamond District project was publicly financed, new revenue from the ballpark and the development surrounding it is supposed to allow the city to pay off the bonds. DiBella noted he and the Squirrels are expected to pay $3.2 million in annual rent for the publicly owned ballpark.
“You can’t not only empower me but demand that I create events and positives for the community in this ballpark and then stop me from doing it,” DiBella said.
City officials have not clarified their position on how the construction work can co-exist with plans for major offseason events at CarMax Park.
When asked earlier this month if the city was aware of the WinterWorld plan, a spokesperson for the EDA said only that the team and its affiliates have shared some details on event scheduling, while noting it isn’t required.
When asked about the issue at an unrelated event Wednesday morning, Mayor Danny Avula said city officials would “have to go back and look at the agreements.” The mayor emphasized the area around the ballpark “will be under construction for multiple years.”
Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org. Haidyn Brockelman contributed to this report.
