When will skating rink at Strawbery Banke open? Here's how you can get tickets in 2022-23
PORTSMOUTH — Strawbery Banke Museum has announced that online ticketing will be available for the first time for the 2022-2023 season of Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond, the seasonal, outdoor ice skating rink at the museum.
Weather permitting, the rink is scheduled to open Friday, Nov. 25, at 9 a.m., the day after Thanksgiving. Online tickets will be available ahead of opening weekend and will be announced on the Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond Facebook page, Facebook.com/PuddleDockPondAtStrawberyBanke.
Rink Services Group, the Exeter-based company that manages the skating rink at Strawbery Banke, has spent several months working with museum staff to implement a new ticketing system that allows visitors to purchase skating admission in advance. In previous seasons, tickets were only available in person at the admissions desk in the Museum Visitor Center.
Once the rink is open for the season, online ticket sales will begin each week on Sundays at 5 p.m., when the weekly ice schedule is published. Tickets are available for purchase both online or in person on a first-come, first-served weekly basis. At this time, phone call reservations are not accepted.
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“Strawbery Banke remains committed to making skating accessible to everyone,” said Lawrence J. Yerdon, president and CEO. “The implementation of online ticketing allows even more individuals to take advantage of skating at Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond throughout the season and the convenience of planning a visit in advance.”
Labrie Family Skate at Strawbery Banke opened in December 2014 and welcomes skaters each year to the unique outdoor venue set among the historic houses of the museum campus. Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond offers:
Daily public skating. Public skating occurs in timed sessions with admission tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. The 2022-23 schedule offers a free public skating session each week on Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m.
Skate rentals and sharpening services are available in the Visitors Center.
Rink rentals are available for holiday parties, company outings, and winter celebrations.
Learn to Skate Lessons. Session two registration begins on Friday, Dec. 16, at 10 a.m.
A smooth-skating surface is professionally maintained with a Zamboni sponsored by Exeter Hospital.
Adaptive Ice Time for those with physical challenges is offered each week, in partnership with UNH’s Northeast Passage.
Community classes, pop-up performances, and other programming are offered on certain dates throughout the season by Ice Dance International.
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More information on ice skating hours, tickets, lessons, rentals
The weekly schedule will be posted to strawberybanke.org/skate.cfm and on Facebook.
Weather permitting; the rink is open Monday through Friday and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with a free skating session taking place from 8 to 10 a.m. The rink opens at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays due to scheduled ice maintenance.
During Candlelight Stroll, Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18, skaters can purchase skating-only tickets — it is not necessary to purchase a Candlelight Stroll ticket to skate.
43rd Annual Candlelight Stroll:Ticket sales begin for the Strawbery Banke Museum holiday event
Ticket prices have remained the same for the 2022-2023 season. Admission is $12 for ages 5 and up. The skate rental price is $6 and skate sharpening is available for $7. Strawbery Banke members and active duty military receive a 50% discount on skating tickets. All visitors are encouraged to check the website or Facebook page for daily updates to the schedule.
For information on schedules, lessons, and event rentals, contact Kayley Vavra at 603-422-0600 or kayley@rinkservicesgroup.com. For sponsorship information, contact Wendy McCoole at 603-422-7502 or wmccoole@sbmuseum.org.
Building the temporary rink each year is an ambitious and costly effort; Strawbery Banke appreciates the support of Rink Services Group, The Labrie Group, Aland Realty, Ambit Engineering, Evergreen Dental, Exeter Hospital, HDC General Contractors, Ice Dance International (IDI), Living Innovations, Proulx Oil and Propane, Seacoast United, Shaheen & Gordon Attorneys at Law, Winter Holben Architecture & Design, and PortsmouthWebcam.com.
For more information, the weekly ice schedule, and ice conditions, visit StrawberyBanke.org/Skate.cfm.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH: Strawbery Banke ice skating rink opening for 2022-23
