It can be hard to find the perfect place to get dinner on Valentine’s Day between needing to agree on where to make a reservation, to choosing the perfect date outfit. There are also times where you and your significant other don’t feel like getting dinner, but you still want to have a nice night together. Here are 5 date ideas for Valentine’s Day to enjoy it with your significant other if you don’t want to go to a restaurant, even if it’s the weekend after the big day!
1. Fired up
If you and your significant other want to be crafty together while also creating gifts for one another, I would suggest going to Fired Up. It’s a pottery place in Peoria Heights, and it isn’t too overpriced. The studio fee is $8 and the actual items you can create and paint range from $8-$40, so there’s some variety in the prince range if needed. It’s a fun place to sit together and create something meaningful. You even get a really fun piece of art you can take home!
2. Jukebox Comedy Club
Sometimes the vibe for a date is just to exist and laugh together, and that’s completely valid. If that’s what you’re envisioning for your Valentine’s Day, I would recommend Jukebox Comedy Club! It’s only a 5 minute drive away from the Bradley campus. You can either attend an open mic night or see a known comedian at a special event. However, they are only open Wednesday-Saturday with doors opening at 7pm. As long as the venue isn’t sold out for that night, you can even just walk in and pay if this is a last minute decision. If you are actively planning on going, though, I would recommend buying the tickets ahead of time to ensure that you’re able to get seats. The general admission is $15/person, which isn’t overly expensive, but can seem like a lot if you aren’t sure who’s performing. So, make sure you’re okay with the price of the surprise — I would say yes — before you go!
3. Ice Skating at the Owens Center
If you and your significant other are big into ice skating, I recommend going to the Owens Center during their free skate hours. You can find the days and times on their website under the public skate section, and admission is only $5 a person (skates are an additional $3 if you need to rent them). This makes it a fun and inexpensive way to spend your night together. This can also be a great way to work up an appetite before going to dinner, or anything like that. You can spend time together and be active in a fun way before sitting at a restaurant. There are also multiple days with open skating if you want to wait until a few days later to go, if you’re busy on Valentine’s Day with classes and things like that.
4. 8-Bit Arcade
For those of you who are 21 years old and older, and are looking for a fun way to spend the night, I would recommend going to 8-Bit. It’s an arcade bar that’s open during the week from 4pm to 1am. You know what that means: You can have a fun time together for as long as you want at the arcade. There are a lot of really fun games to play, like Zaxxon and Double Dragon, which will go great with the high energy of the bar. A full list of available games is on their website if you’re curious. It’s also right by the riverfront if you want to watch the sunset by the river, or have dinner reservations in that area. If you’re interested and underage, don’t worry! You don’t have to be 21 to go, but you do have to be in order to drink there.
5. Dollar Tree Craft Night
Sometimes going out isn’t the ideal way to spend Valentine’s Day with your significant other. That’s completely valid, and I totally see you right now. I told my boyfriend a month before Valentine’s Day that I just want to stay in with Chinese food to celebrate. However, you can still do something while you’re staying home. You can run to your local Dollar Tree and get some crafts! There are a lot of options for Valentine’s Day specific crafts. The link above is full of crafts that are entirely inspired by the holiday. If those aren’t your vibe, there are a large variety of smaller things that can be put together to create a great craft. It can be done to give to each other for homemade gifts, or you can work together on a few and decorate your spaces with them. However you want to do it, you’re still spending time with the one that means the most to you, and you can make the night special for the two of you.
To everyone celebrating Valentine’s Day with someone else this year, I hope you find the perfect way for you both to spend the day. It doesn’t always have to be the movies with an overly expensive dinner! It’s the perfect excuse to have a fun night out that you normally wouldn’t have. I hope this list helps you figure out what you want to do.