A new skating rink at the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth is set to open Friday morning.
The Puddle Duck Pond rink had been scheduled to open Dec. 1, but was delayed due to issues with construction and the weather.
With heavy rain in the area this week, there was concern about another delay, but museum spokesman Barbara MacLeod says the city gave the rink the green light Thursday afternoon.
“We’re really excited that the snow is coming down instead of the rain. We have ice and the Zamboni’s out there right now. It’s still a bit of a work in progress in terms of getting all of the services lined up, but we have ice and we’ll be open on the 12th.”
A 9 o’clock opening is set for Friday morning, with free public skating from 6 to 9 that night.
The rink is expected to remain open through February, and will be available for public skating, pick-up pond hockey, and skating lessons.
The rink has been in the works for more than two years, and survived a legal challenge from neighbors who opposed it.