There’s nothing like the excitement of a mystery date, especially on Valentine’s Day. But, there’s also nothing like having no clue what you’re going to do on Valentine’s Day
In the interest of love this week, let’s talk date ideas. Jonathan does a great job of finding fun things to do and I’m told he already has something brewing for this year (darling, just tell me to wear). In case you aren’t so lucky and are scrambling for something to do for the big day, these ideas should translate to almost anywhere.
If you’re in Pittsburgh, then you’re extra lucky because I have specific events happening in the ‘Burgh on or around Valentine’s Day!
Have a Fancy-pants Dinner
I never get to dress up anymore. I’m thrilled to be able to wear jeans and Converse sneakers to work if I want to, but I do miss getting a little more dressy. Dressing up is pretty much now reserved for weddings.
Take a look and see if your favorite restaurant is having a formal dinner and get get on those reservations, like, yesterday.
In Pittsburgh…
There are tons of special dinners, but this one at uber-popular Brew Gentlemen will be out of tickets fast.
Day Drink
As my drinking partner in crime for my guest posts over at PCBN, we have shared many, many beers together. Since Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, why not take advantage of that and do a little day drinking? Wineries are great for this, but some of my favorite Saturdays together with Jonathan have been at breweries.
You get to learn something (how beer is made) and taste it. Then bring home growlers/bottles of your favorites. Bonus: breweries have their beer on tap. You couldn’t get fresher beer if you jumped into the barrel.
In Pittsburgh…
There are tons of breweries and wineries sprinkled around. And we’ve had great times at every one we’ve visited.
I also love stopping by Wigle Whiskey. Their tour tickets are sold out for Valentine’s Day, but you can still taste. There’s also a Cupid’s Cocktail Class on Friday, February 13th!
Get Creative
This is probably my favorite, next to day drinking (I’m young and have a disposable income, sue me!) Jonathan and I have done some great creative things together and I love it because you have the memory of the time together, but then you also something to take home with you as a memento.
We’ve made glass tiles, painted (okay, it was a room in my house and technically not a date, but it was still creative!), and hopefully will continue to get creative. There is no judgement from either of us so it really helps to foster the romantical connection.
In Pittsburgh…
Make flowers for your valentine at Pittsburgh Glass Center or get hands-on at TechShop and etch a wine glass (and then drink wine out of it with a wine/chocolate pairing!) or make plasma-cut flowers.
Do Something Nerdy
In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a huge nerd. And I love museums. There’s a thing in Pittsburgh every fall called RADical Days where museums (and the Pittsburgh Zoo and the National Aviary and….) offer free admission on select days. Yes, we have gone to five museums in a day because free admission!
Take a look in your city for half off admission nights, deals, or community-sponsored admission programs.
In Pittsburgh…
The Warhol Museum is my favorite. Every Friday night, they do Good Fridays and offer half off admission and late hours (5-10p).
Fun fact: my grammy rode the bus with Andy Warhol when he was still Andrew Warhola.
Go for Adults Only
Come on, not like that! A 21+ night is a great way to explore somewhere that you only know from a kid’s perspective (or maybe you avoid a certain places because of all of the children running around.)
I love the 21+ nights at the Carnegie Science Center and we’ve also gone to Phipps when they’ve had one of their nights as well. It’s definitely a cool vibe and things look totally different in the dark. There are Chihuly pieces all over Phipps but I never noticed them as much as I did at night!
In Pittsburgh…
Have some adult beverages and then enjoy a late night skate.
The Carnegie Science Center, Phipps Conservatory, The Children’s Museum, and I think the National Aviary have 21+ nights. Explore the museum, look at the plants, make something and do it all while enjoyed a cocktail.
Bonus: Find Live Entertainment
Support your local cultural society. A concert, musical, play, mystery dinner…always great date ideas. Pittsburgh Winery also lets you taste their full flight of wine and they have live music on the weekends, so you can get a two-fer here!
If you’re still looking for something to do, check out your local event pages. Shout out to Yelp for having a great events board. Yes, I was an intern for Yelp in Pittsburgh. Yes, I stocked up our event board every week. Yes, you should check out Yelp for your local city. </PSA on Yelp>
