Valentine’s Day 2021 is right around the corner! While it, along with everything else that has happened this past year, is bound to look different than the last, that doesn’t mean there aren’t fun ways to celebrate.
To make your Valentine’s Day the best ever, we rounded up a few Fort Collins date ideas, from some at-home fun to socially distanced activities throughout the city. Read on to craft your perfect evening itinerary. And of course, always remember to wear a facial covering and stay at least 6 feet from other people if you do go out.
If you and your partner have already gone through your Netflix queue several times over and finally run out of board games to play, it may be time for a new hobby! Luckily, several local businesses have put together online classes that will make picking up a new pastime as easy as pie. Interested in yoga? Take a virtual class with Origin House of Fitness! Want to learn to cook? Try an online course from The Cooking Studio! Interested in knitting or weaving? Try Your Daily Fiber! No matter what you’re interested in, FoCo businesses have you covered.
Pick up some to-go cocktails
One of our all-time favorite date night activities in Fort Collins is heading to a local cocktail bar and soaking up great drinks and atmosphere. While we aren’t able to take in the atmosphere right now, we can still grab a few cocktails to-go. Many Fort Collins area bars are now offering drinks and drink kits for takeout—from mason jar Old Fashioneds to mimosa kits.
Social is offering some of their iconic cocktails—like their Whiskey Smash and Black Manhattan—in bottles to-go. CopperMuse Distillery has both ready-made cocktails and cocktail packages ready for you to pick up. Union Bar & Soda Fountain has also made their cocktails available for pickup, including a Jasmine Peach Bellini, Apple Toddy and their iconic Frozé!
Pick up charcuterie from The Welsh Rabbit
No proper Fort Collins date night would be complete without charcuterie from The Welsh Rabbit! Thankfully, you can still pick up some to-go. Choose from the Basic Cheese Platter, the Popular Platter, or the Chef’s Choice option. They recently opened an online shop, where you can order items to be delivered or picked up. Click here to explore their current menu.
See a movie at The Lyric
We don’t know about you, but we miss the movies. If you and your significant other are really missing your “dinner and a movie” date night, don’t miss The Lyric’s new private screenings! You and your pod (which should come from the same household, due to current COVID restrictions) can make a reservation for a room all to yourselves to watch any movie you want. Not a huge movie person? You can also bring in your gaming console and play some video games on the big screen! Email events@lyriccinema.com to book your private party.
For the most luxurious Valentine’s Day date you can have during a pandemic, book a stay at The Armstrong Hotel! This exquisite hotel has been a part of the downtown community since 1932—but recently went through an impressive renovation in 2019, creating incredible rooms that perfectly mix Northern Colorado’s history with modern touches. To keep you safe, they have been closely monitoring COVID-19 and have taken additional steps to ensure they meet the latest guidance on cleaning. Click here to see all of their current COVID-19 policies.
Enjoy something chocolatey
Pair your Valentine’s Day date with a selection of delicious chocolates from Nuance Chocolate. The team at Nuance creates small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolates made straight from cocoa beans roasted and ground inside their Old Town facility. You can pick up these delicious and authentic creations in the form of fresh truffles, single-origin and flavored bars, hot chocolate, and more! Pick some up curbside to create your perfect, romantic Valentine’s Day date.
Take a trip—virtually
Just because we aren’t supposed to travel right now, that doesn’t mean we can’t explore some of the best our planet has to offer this Valentine’s Day! The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery put together a handy blog post with some of their favorite world-wide virtual tours that will help you experience the very best of our planet without having to leave your home. Take a virtual tour of the Great Wall of China, Yellowstone, the Mammoth Hot Springs and more. You can even see the great polar bear migration! Click here for all the information.
Order a meal from Ginger and Baker
While they are closed for in-person dining, Ginger and Baker is bringing their delicious food to your home with their various take-out options, which includes individual and family-style meals, plus local eggs, milk, coffee and more. These meals are ready for pickup or curbside drop-off. Click here to explore this week’s offerings and to place your order!
Splurge on some fancy wine
If any Valentine’s Day called for some expensive wine, it would be this one. Stop by Pringles, one of the area’s finest wine and spirits shops, and pick out a bottle you would have never purchased before. If you’re struggling with choosing from all their options, just ask their knowledgeable staff to help you! They are also offering curbside pickup if you’d rather shop online and stay in your car.
Play cookbook roulette
If you and your partner struggle with figuring out what you want to cook every evening, why not make a game out of it this Valentine’s Day? Dust off your cookbooks and play cookbook roulette! The day before you plan to cook, choose a cookbook and randomly turn to a page. Then head to the store (or get groceries delivered) for the ingredients to make that dish! If you want to make it really interesting, try picking a random recipe for multiple courses.
Participate in a virtual race together
Dim the lights, put on some Barry White and...go for a run? They say couples that run together stay together so why not participate in this year’s Cupid’s 12 Roses of Valentine’s Day Run Challenge? This is a virtual half marathon that you and your significant other can participate in together, in your own time. Finishers receive medals, pins, bibs and a t-shirt to commemorate the event. Click here for all the information and to register!
Take a winter drive
When you think of “scenic drives,” you’re probably picturing winding roads full of greenery or fall colors. But what if we told you that Colorado was even prettier in the colder months? Snow covered mountains, frozen lakes, white vistas and powdered evergreens are just some of the things you could see on a drive in Colorado in the winter. Click here for a list of our favorite wintery drives in Colorado—just be sure to check on road conditions before heading out!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
What are you and your partner planning this Valentine’s Day in FoCo? Let us know in the comments below!
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