Ah, Valentine’s Day. Some love it, some hate it. I used to be one of the haters, especially whenever I would walk into Walmart and be barraged by aisles full of love-themed stuffed animals. But now that I am in a relationship, I’ve had to learn how to love it. From dinner at The Top and Dragonfly to a dance class at Parris Studio, there are plenty of V day activities.
Valentine’s Day should be the time where the spoiler in the relationship becomes the spoil-ee, so this is your time to shine. Normally my SO spoils me in the relationship, so I thought it was high time for me to put him in the hot seat. However, the reality is we are college students. I morally struggle to spend $4 on Starbucks, much less drop <$100 on my boo. With this in mind, I have compiled a list of date ideas for the perfect (and affordable) Valentine’s day in Gainesville:
- Enjoy a night in with a cooking competition and blanket fort
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Feeling like Gordon Ramsay? Buy some ingredients and make each other dinners. This can be anything from chicken alfredo to lasagna, just try to pick one of your bae’s favorite meal. To spice it up, have a cooking time limit, a scoring system and maybe even a prize. After eating your bae’s masterpiece, take a bunch of blankets and pillows to build the coziest fort ever. To add ambiance, string up some fairy lights or add fire-less candles from the Dollar Tree (no need to burn the house down, AJR). To top it off, end the night with a movie marathon or a game night in your fort. Some obvious suggestions are The Notebook and Titanic, but if you’re feeling brave, maybe some ‘Uno and Chill?’
- Pack a picnic and watch the sunset at Payne’s Prairie
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This suggestion is a little basic for Gainesville, but there’s a reason for it. There are few things more romantic than watching the sunset together, especially at a place like Paynes Prairie. The uninterrupted views and colorful sunsets really do most of the work for you. Just throw together a bunch of blankets, a little speaker and a picnic to complete the afternoon. For the picnic, you can be classic and make sandwiches or be daring and try a new takeout spot. I personally recommend Kabab House which has amazing Indian cuisine for relatively low prices. Feel free to play some soft music in the background or use the trunk of your car as a tent if you have an SUV.
Once the sun has set, you can extend the night further by bringing a dessert and driving to a different location to go stargazing. Some good options are off Newberry Road or near Roger’s Farm. For a more official stargazing date, UF Astronomy offers a Public Viewing Night from 8:30pm-10:00pm on Friday nights (which V Day is!). They offer use of their telescope, a movie and an activity that are all free to the public. For more information on UF Astronomy’s Public Viewing nights, click here.
- Spend saturday in the country
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Can’t celebrate Friday night? Have a romantic Saturday with the Alachua County Farmer’s Market, retired horses and Satchel’s instead. The Alachua County Farmers Market opens at 8:30 a.m. every Saturday, rain or shine, and offers a variety of local goods. It closes at noon, however, many items sell quickly, so the earlier the better. After the farmer’s market, grab your boots and take your bae to Mill Creek Farm. Mill Creek Farm offers a Retirement Home for Horses that is so charming to visit. It is open to the public every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The best part is admission is only two carrots! Spend the day feeding and petting the horses while walking along the ranch. After a long day on the farm, unwind with some unique décor and pizza at Satchel’s. The chill vibes of this Saturday date idea are perfect if your wanting to try new date ideas and explore what the country-side of Gainesville has to offer.
- See a ballet at the Center for Performing Arts
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Looking to dress up on V-Day? Take bae to see “Loveland” presented by the Dance Alive National Ballet at the Center for Performing Arts (Phillips Center). Student tickets are $15 each and it gives you a chance to bring out those heels you never get to wear. It starts at 7:30 p.m., which also gives you time to grab a bite to eat before the show. For more information, click here.
- Get creative with bae at Corks and Colors Studio
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At Corks and Colors, there are “Figurine Fridays” where you pay $10 and get to paint your choice of figurine. This is a cute idea, especially since you can give your masterpiece to your boo as the perfect heartfelt V-Day gift. If you’re 21+, you can enjoy mimosas, wine or specialty beer options while y’all are channeling your inner artist. Some deals not on Valentine’s Day are $10 bottles of wine every Thursday night and $10 bottomless mimosas every Saturday and Sunday. If you want to do a DIY version of this date, just grab a couple of Canvases, paint, and brushes at Walmart. You can go even further and have a portrait competition where you see how well you can paint each other. Either way, it will be a night to remember!
Any of these five dates are a sweet (and affordable) way to spoil your boo. You shouldn’t feel like you have to pay an arm and a leg to make your SO feel appreciated, especially since V-Day is about how much y’all care about each other. Don’t get caught up in the expensive gifts and pricey dinners that take the focus off of your relationship and become a contest against other couples. With that, I hope y’all have a happy Valentine’s Day. If you have any other ideas, feel free to leave them in the comments and share the love!