WinterWorld tickets on sale now for CarMax Park’s first holiday season

Richmond’s newest ballpark is about to get a very different kind of crowd. Starting Nov. 18, CarMax Park will become WinterWorld, a holiday attraction that takes over the whole stadium and runs through Jan. 3. Tickets went on sale today, Sept. 16.

804Live is producing the event, and the pitch is simple: a lot of lights, a lot of ice and a place for families to spend a winter evening without leaving the city. Organizers are calling it a new holiday tradition, which is a bold claim for something that hasn’t opened yet. The scale, at least, backs it up.

What’s inside the gates

The centerpiece is the light display, with more than one million lights covering the stadium and what organizers say will be the tallest live Christmas tree in Richmond. Around it, the field and concourse get a 12,500-square-foot outdoor ice-skating rink, a six-lane ice slide presented by Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 10, and a 60-foot Ferris wheel with a view of the whole thing lit up.

There’s also a holiday retail village, seasonal food and drink, snowball pitching and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Adults get their own corner too: the Below Zero Bar is a 21-and-older lounge serving winter cocktails.

“From the very beginning, the vision for WinterWorld was to create an all-new holiday experience for Richmond families,” said Chris Yancey, president of 804Live. “The response from the community and our partners to the initial announcement of WinterWorld has been incredible, and we’re now excited to invite everyone to join us at CarMax Park beginning Nov. 18.”

What it costs

Admission varies by day. Adult tickets (ages 13 and up) are $14.95 on weekdays, $19.95 on weekends and $24.95 on holidays. Child tickets (ages 4 to 12) run $9.95, $14.95 and $19.95 on the same schedule. Children 3 and younger get in free, and discounts are available for seniors, first responders and military members.

The big attractions are add-ons. Ice skating is $13, the ice slide is $10 and the Ferris wheel is $7. Taxes and fees are extra across the board, so a family of four hitting everything on a weekend should plan on well north of the base admission.

A year-round stadium

“CarMax Park was always intended to be a year-round venue that featured a wide variety of programming that would engage and welcome the Richmond community,” Yancey added. “With WinterWorld, we hope to create an experience that will become a holiday tradition for many years to come.”

Organizers expect visitors from across Virginia and neighboring states during the first season, and they’re framing the event as a boost for local tourism, hospitality and retail during the slower winter months.

In the lead-up to today’s on-sale, 804Live ran a regionwide scavenger hunt, hiding 20 oversized puzzle pieces at businesses and community spots around the Richmond area from Sept. 8 through Sept. 16. Anyone who found one had a shot at free WinterWorld tickets. That window closes today.

Tickets and more information are at winterworldrva.com.