This Thursday a circus tent opens in the former Sears parking lot at Chesterfield Towne Center. Cirque de Paris runs there from October 15 through October 25, 2026, on the part of the property that still points to the department store that used to stand there. When the mall changed hands last December, the old Sears building was listed as one of its major vacancies.
For Smoketree households near Midlothian Turnpike, the tent shows how the mall works this year. Ten months after the sale, the new owners haven't said publicly what the property will become. In the meantime, most of what's on the fall calendar needs no long-term commitment: shows in the parking lot, a free safety fair, weekend craft markets, and a couple of small independent shops in modest spaces.
What the New Owners Have Said, and What They Haven't
Richmond BizSense reported that a joint venture of JRE Partners and Anastacia AG bought Chesterfield Towne Center for $80 million in December 2025. Pacific Retail Capital Partners took over leasing and management, along with master planning and the center's long-term direction, which includes weighing a possible redevelopment. The sale announcement didn't include a redevelopment concept or timeline, and the buyers didn't answer the outlet's requests for comment. 12 On Your Side reported that the management company planned to focus on leasing, master planning and bringing in new concepts, and its CEO talked about strengthening the center's experience and tenant mix.
Since then, the property news has mostly been about things leaving:
- TJ Maxx and HomeGoods closed their combined store at the mall in late February 2026. They planned to reopen at Pocono Crossing on March 5.
- Chesterfield Towne Center Plaza, the roughly 63,000-square-foot strip center at 11304 Midlothian Turnpike across Mall Drive, sold on September 22 for $11.5 million to Florida-based Ross Realty Investments. The JRE and Anastacia joint venture had bought it with the mall and kept the mall.
The plaza is where Ross Dress for Less, Skechers, Five Below and Men's Wearhouse are. Nothing about that sale changes the stores, but they now have a different owner than the mall across the street. Two plaza suites totaling 7,500 square feet were vacant when it sold. When BizSense covered the plaza sale, it noted that the mall's management firm is still master-planning and looking at a possible redevelopment, with no further details released.
Macy's and JCPenney are still the department-store anchors, and At Home is still one of the larger retailers on the property. That's the backdrop for this fall's calendar.
October, Date by Date
These are the October events listed on the mall's official events page as of October 11.
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Oct. 13, 6:30 to 9 p.m. | Carrabba's "Beyond the Label" five-course dinner | Carrabba's | Check with the restaurant |
| Oct. 15 to 25 | Cirque de Paris | Sears parking lot | Ticketed |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 1 to 4 p.m. | Fall Safety Event presented by Chippenham Hospital | Parking lot off Mall Drive | Free |
Two of the three are outdoors, in the parking lots.
The circus plays most days of its run, but not every day. The operator's schedule lists 7 p.m. shows on Thursday, October 15, Monday, October 19, Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22, and 7:30 p.m. shows on Fridays, October 16 and 23. On Saturdays, October 17 and 24, there are shows at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. On Sundays, October 18 and 25, shows are at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 20 has no show.
For the opening-night show, the online ticket menu lists prices with fees included: $16.92 for a limited pre-sale or child general admission ticket, $28.21 for adult general admission, $39.50 for preferred, $56.44 for ringside, and $67.73 for a family pack. The page says prices may vary and can change without notice, and its box-office block shows different numbers than its ticket table. Check the price for your specific show before you go.
Saturday, October 24 Is the Busiest Day on the Lot
Both outdoor programs overlap on one Saturday. On October 24, the circus has three shows starting at 1:30 p.m. From 1 to 4 p.m. the same day, the free Fall Safety Event fills the parking lot off Mall Drive.
The mall says more than 12 local health and safety organizations will take part. The ones it names are mostly county agencies and regional services:
- Chesterfield Fire & EMS
- Chesterfield County Police
- Chesterfield CERT
- Chesterfield Emergency Communications
- CareNow Urgent Care
- Johnston-Willis Stroke Care
- Tucker Pavilion
- Operation Lifesaver
- RideFinders
The listing also mentions fire-truck activities, which makes it one of the easier free afternoons of the month for families with young kids. If you're also going to a circus matinee, plan for heavier traffic on the Mall Drive side than on a normal Saturday.
The New Storefronts Are Small
The two tenants that opened this year are much smaller than the space that left. TJ Maxx and HomeGoods shared one big-box space. The new arrivals are a local family business and a second location of a Richmond-area menswear shop.
R.S. Milan Menswear & Custom Tailors opened a 3,000-square-foot store in June next to Zales and Macy's. It's the family-run tailor's second location, and the Regency store stays open.
Blue Rose Video & More opened September 5 in a roughly 700-square-foot space next to Spencer's. It sells and rents DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K Ultra HD discs, focusing on new releases and some harder-to-find classics, and it also carries movie and TV collectibles, action figures and memorabilia. Owner Wayne Marshall runs it with his wife and two daughters, and one daughter manages the store. He told Richmond BizSense what convinced him the timing was right:
"The news about physical media essentially increasing in double digits, quarter over quarter, made me realize that maybe this is the time to try to do something like (what) I want to do."
Marshall worked in video stores until his mid-20s, and he told the outlet that the shop is meant to fill a local gap for rentals and titles that are hard to find in most brick-and-mortar stores. If you live nearby, it's a rental counter close to home, which few places still offer.
November and December, With One Date Still Missing
Later in the season, the calendar again leans on short-term programming:
- Monthly blood drive, Friday, November 6, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The American Red Cross sets up in H&M Court.
- Richmond Fall Craft and Vendor Market, November 21 and 22. Hometown Vendor Market lists it at the mall.
- Richmond Winter Wonderland Craft & Vendor Market, December 19 and 20. The Eventbrite listing gives hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The missing date is Santa. As of October 11, the mall's Photos with Santa page still shows the 2025 schedule, which began November 21, 2025, and the current events list has no 2026 Santa listing. The site also hasn't posted 2026 holiday hours. Last year's dates don't tell you this year's. Check the page again in early November.
Until holiday hours are posted, the regular center hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Individual store and restaurant hours may differ.
The One Listing That Runs Every Day
The mall walking program is also on the events page. It's free, walkers can start daily at 9 a.m., which is two hours before the center opens Monday through Saturday and three hours before it opens on Sunday. One lap is nearly a mile. The listing doesn't name an entrance or mention registration. The mall suggests calling 804-794-4661 to check opening times on holidays and in bad weather.
If you want to talk about what the changes along Midlothian Turnpike could mean for homes around Smoketree, or you'd just like a local read on the corridor as the mall's plans take shape, Rick Cox Realty Group follows this stretch closely and is glad to help. Contact Us anytime.
