Whether single or coupled, Valentine’s day can be incredibly stressful. The OITB team is here to help you plan the perfect romantic date or friendly outing this Saturday.
Dinner and a Show
Relaxed: For a low-key evening with a retro vibe, start with dinner at The Three Coins Diner then travel 5 minutes to catch a movie at the Fun Lan Drive-In. With meal prices averaging $8 at The Three Coins and $7 movie tickets at the Drive-In, this is the perfect inexpensive evening to spend with your best friend or your sweetheart.
Elegant: For an elegant twist on the classic dinner and a movie experience, visit the Hyde Park Cinébistro. You and your honey can cuddle up on comfortable leather seats and get a full dinner service (including cocktails) right in the theater. Adult tickets cost $15 and you can order off the regular menu or take advantage of a special Valentine’s Day menu Feb 12th through the 19th. To up your elegance game even more, take your date to the 12:30pm live Metropolitan Opera broadcast of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta.
Whimsical: For an unconventional interpretation of dinner and a show, take your valentine to MOSI’s Total Eclipse of the Heart at the Saunders Planetarium. Couples will dine while the night sky above transports them to romantic destinations around the world. Tickets cost $110 per couple and you are required to preregister due to limited seating. There are 5:30 and 8:00 showings on Feb 13th and 14th. Click here to preregister.
Out and About
Relaxed: Take your valentine to the last weekend of the Florida State Fair. Share a cotton candy, make out while riding the ferris wheel, bid on some live stock, and catch a free concert. At $13 per adult admission, this laid back and inexpensive evening is perfect for couples and besties alike.
Elegant: Visit the Makers Market at the Paper Seahorse with your valentine and buy each other hand-made gifts, chocolates, and floral bouquets from local artisans. After the market, grab dinner at the cozy Cafe European (just a four minute drive) and take a stroll around the Historic Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus located just across the street from the cafe.
Whimsical: The Village of the Arts in Bradenton is hosting An Affair to Remember for couples with artistic sensibility. Galleries will offer a champagne toast and chocolates, a Sweetheart’s Roses Tree on which to hang personalized valentines, a display of vintage wedding dresses from Retro Rosie of Bradenton, and a Secret Garden with a table set for two where couples can pose for photos. Couples can also bring a padlock to lock on the green fence in front of the Once Over Twice Gallary, Florida’s version of the famous love locks along the Pont des Arts in Paris. This event is totally free.
Alternative Activities
Bromance: World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presents Road to WrestleMania at the AMALIE Arena on Valentine’s Day at 7:30 PM. Tickets start at $20. Buy tickets here.
Jaded: Amanda Palmer & Neil Gaiman perform Heartbreak Hotel live at Tampa Theatre at 8:00pm on Valentine’s Day (doors open at 7:00pm). Tickets start at $43. Click here for more information.
Adventurous: Avant-Guardian’s Much Ado – Immersive Performance + Exhibition brings together art, dance, live music, food, and drink all under The Rialto Theatre roof at 8:00pm. Tickets are $25. Buy tickets here.
Three Coins Diner is open 24 hours a day and located on 7410 N Nebraska Ave. Tampa FL 33604 | Fun Lan Drive-In is located on 2302 on E. Hillsborough Ave. Tampa, FL 33610 | Visit cinebistro.com for more details or to purchase tickets online in advance.
Makers Market is free and open from 10am – 6pm at 211 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 | Cafe European is open from 5:30pm – 10:00pm and located on 113 South Hyde Park Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 | Village of the Arts is open Saturday from 11am – 4pm and located at 1113 12th St. W., Bradenton, FL 34205
