Richmond Ice Box Opens New Rink in Chesterfield
TL;DR: Richmond Ice Box, a new 49,000-square-foot ice hockey facility operated by Chesterfield Sports Enterprises, opened in July 2026 at 13100 Tredegar Lake Parkway in Chesterfield, offering youth and adult hockey programs and skating.
Quick facts
- Who: Richmond Ice Box, operated by Chesterfield Sports Enterprises (Fred Festa); President Ryan Winfree
- What: New indoor ice hockey rink with NHL-sized ice, 350 spectator seats, youth/adult programs, figure skating, public skating
- When: Opened July 2026
- Where: 13100 Tredegar Lake Parkway, Chesterfield County (Brandermill area, near River City Sportsplex)
The story
Richmond Ice Box, a new 49,000-square-foot ice hockey venue, opened in July 2026 at 13100 Tredegar Lake Parkway in Chesterfield County's Brandermill area, near River City Sportsplex. The facility features an NHL-sized ice rink, 350 spectator seats, six locker rooms, and a 1,200-square-foot pro shop. The venue offers public skating, rentable skates (both figure and hockey), youth hockey leagues (house and travel programs), adult league hockey, learn-to-skate classes, figure skating instruction, birthday parties, and private event space.
The facility is operated by Chesterfield Sports Enterprises, owned by Fred Festa, a retired chemicals industry executive and local hockey booster who previously owned the Greenville Swamp Rabbits minor league hockey team from 2012 to 2018. Ryan Winfree, Festa's son-in-law, serves as president of both the new Ice Box and Festa's existing Powhatan Ice Den, which opened in 2021 as a smaller facility. Winfree described the Richmond Ice Box as a "multimillion-dollar" project that was privately funded.
The facility was designed with expansion in mind. Phase two will add a second NHL-sized rink and expand spectator seating to 700 in a 90,000-square-foot overall space, though no specific timeline has been announced. According to Winfree, the second phase is already designed "but we're going to gauge the market and demand before we pull the trigger." If the expansion proceeds, it is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.
Key players
- Fred Festa: Owner of Chesterfield Sports Enterprises; also owns Powhatan Ice Den
- Ryan Winfree: President of Richmond Ice Box and Powhatan Ice Den
- Richmond Ice Box: Operator of new ice hockey facility
Key dates
- July 2026: Richmond Ice Box officially opened with NHL-sized rink
Why it matters: The opening adds a second year-round ice skating facility to Chesterfield County, increasing access to hockey programming and recreational skating for area families and youth. The facility's ambitions to eventually support professional-level hockey could bring higher-level sports events to the region.
Places
Development timeline
- 2021Powhatan Ice Den Opens: Fred Festa's first ice hockey facility opened in Powhatan County, a 15,000-square-foot rink with youth and adult programming [source]
- July 2026Richmond Ice Box Opens: New 49,000-square-foot hockey facility opened at 13100 Tredegar Lake Parkway in Chesterfield with NHL-sized rink, 350 seats, and youth/adult programs [source]
Related links
Read the original at WRIC 8News (YouTube) →
Sources
- Inside Richmond Ice Box: Chesterfield's new NHL-sized rink - WTVR
- Richmond Ice Box Official Website
- New hockey venue Richmond Ice Box opens with NHL-sized rink in Chesterfield - Richmond BizSense
- Hockey facility with 2 NHL-sized rinks moving forward in Chesterfield - Richmond BizSense
- Ice rink with focus on youth hockey opening in Powhatan County - Richmond BizSense