Get those skates sharpened, because one of Kelowna’s favourite winter traditions is almost back.

Crews have been working hard this week to prepare the outdoor rink at Stuart Park in downtown Kelowna and it's now going to open to the public a couple of days early.

It was initially schedule to open Sunday, but thanks to the cold weather and the hard work of crews, the rink will open on Friday at 5 pm!

It will then be open for about three months daily between 6 am and 11 pm.

The exceptions are between 11-11:30 am, 5-5:30 pm and 8-8:30 pm every day for maintenance, as well as 6-8 am every Monday for weekly maintenance.

You can rent skates, helmets and EZ bars on site, otherwise the rink is completely free to use.

The TNT Comfort Foods food truck will also be on site from 5 pm until 8 pm between Thursday and Sunday, as well as 11 am until 2 pm from Friday to Sunday.

Like usual, the rinkside fire pit will also be on from 10 am until 10 pm every day and it’s a great way to warm up after a few laps around the rink.

You can always check on KelownaNow's live Stuart Park webcam for the latest conditions at the rink.