Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond kicks off 10th Anniversary Season with opening on 'Frozen Friday' on Nov. 29

PORTSMOUTH — Strawbery Banke Museum’s outdoor skating rink, Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond, is ready to welcome the community back for its 10th anniversary season. The 2024–2025 season is set to open with “Frozen Friday” on Nov. 29, 2024, at 9 a.m., weather permitting. This winter, skaters of all ages and abilities can enjoy daily public skating, lessons, private rink rentals, and adaptive skating sessions on the rink’s professionally maintained ice, complete with a chilling system and Zamboni.

Celebrating a decade as a Portsmouth winter tradition, Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond offers a scenic and family-friendly skating experience within the historic grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum. Key offerings include:

• Daily Public Skating: Open to the public for an enchanting skating experience with views of the museum's historic landscape.

• Free Public Skating Sessions: Enjoy free public skating each Saturday from 8–10 a.m.

• Learn to Skate Lessons: Professionally instructed sessions for all ages to enhance skills and build confidence.

• Private Rink Rentals: Available to host special events, corporate gatherings, and celebrations.

• Adaptive Ice Time: Sessions tailored for skaters with varying abilities in partnership with UNH’s Northeast Passage.

As a season highlight, Strawbery Banke invites the community to the 10th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, from 6–8:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy an evening of skating accompanied by a live DJ, special performances by Ice Dance International, and a champagne toast marking a decade of ice skating memories. Tickets for this celebration are $95, with proceeds supporting essential rink upgrades.

To ensure the best skating experience, the rink’s weekly schedule is published each Sunday at 5 p.m., with online ticket sales available at StrawberyBanke.org/skate. Skaters may also purchase tickets in person, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Rink hours are Monday through Wednesday from noon to 9 p.m., Thursday through Friday and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

During Candlelight Stroll dates (Dec. 6-8, 13-15, 20-22), guests can purchase skating-only tickets to enjoy the ice without needing a separate Candlelight Stroll ticket.

Public skating admission is $15 for ages 5 and up, with skate rentals available for $6 and sharpening services for $7. Strawbery Banke Museum members and active-duty military receive a 50% discount on skating tickets. Skating aids are available for beginners, and visitors are encouraged to check StrawberyBanke.org/skate or the rink's Facebook page for the latest updates on ice conditions and special events throughout the anniversary season.

Labrie Family Skate at Puddle Dock Pond is made possible through the generous support of local sponsors, including Rink Services Group, Otter Creek, Ambrose Integrative Medicine, Haley Ward, Aland Realty, Proulx Oil & Propane, Seacoast United, Ice Dance International, Northeast Delta Dental, HDC General Contractors, and Portsmouth Webcam.

For more details on schedules, lessons, or rink rentals, please contact Kayley Vavra at 603.422.0600 or kayley@rinkservicesgroup.com. For sponsorship inquiries, contact Wendy McCoole at 603.422.7502 or wmccoole@sbmuseum.org.

About Strawbery Banke Museum:

Strawbery Banke is a nearly 10-acre living history museum in Portsmouth that interprets over 350 years of local history, from Indigenous history to the present. Through its historical houses on their original foundations, heirloom gardens, traditional crafts, and costumed roleplayers, visitors are invited to explore the stories of the families who lived and worked in the authentic waterfront neighborhood of Puddle Dock. As the first Smithsonian Affiliate in New Hampshire, Strawbery Banke is part of a prestigious network of more than 200 Affiliates across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Panama.

Strawbery Banke welcomes visitors, members, schoolchildren, and volunteers for daily programs, exhibits, skating, and signature special events throughout the year. Strawbery Banke Museum is funded in part by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts & National Endowment for the Arts; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom; the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Investment Program. For more information and a complete calendar of events, please visit StrawberyBanke.org.

PHOTO CAPTION: courtesy of David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com