10 Unique Date Ideas In Alberta

I’m a firm believer that no matter how long you’ve been dating, married, in a relationship with someone—Date Days and Date Nights should always be a part of your weeks (or at the very least—month!) No matter how busy things get, I think it’s so important to take and make time with each other.

I believe there’s lots you can do for dates wherever you are in Alberta, and wanted to share a few ideas for ‘unique’ dates! Feel free to surprise (and impress?) your partner with one of these date ideas!

Note: this blog post is sponsored by the Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) as March is Fraud Prevention Month. If you’re thinking, is she going to suggest I talk about investments and fraud prevention with my partner as a unique date night idea? You’d be absolutely right, LOL.

Although it may not be obviously romantic, your finances and the stresses or thrills tied to money play a huge role in your future together so I do truly believe some of the best date nights involve having conversations on important topics that affect your relationship, like finances and investments!

Scroll on for more!

10 Unique Date Ideas in Alberta

Explore Edmonton - Date Day Date Night Ideas - Alberta Securities Commission - Fraud Prevention 4
Use and share my blog post: 10 Unique Date Ideas in Alberta!

1. Road Trip to see the ‘Giants of the Prairies’

Taking a road trip to see the ‘Giants of the Prairies’ has been on my Date Day/Weekend list for years and I hope to check it off over a few weekends this year. (A pandemic year is an especially good year to do this). What are the ‘Giants of the Prairies‘? Well, according to Wikipedia, it’s actually a song by Canadian polka band Kubasonics which references a bunch of “world’s biggest” roadside attractions in western Canada (many in small towns populated by mostly Ukrainian Canadians).

Alberta is rife with these awesome attractions! From giant kielbasa sausage to perogies, fishing lures, dinosaurs and dragonflies, these attractions are located all across the province. I know some people who have made it a regular weekend outing to check off giant attractions from their checklist, or attempt to do it all in one weekend (so date night becomes date weekend). While there, try food at the local restaurant! 

Linda Hoang and Tracy Moore - CityLine - Canada - Explore Alberta
Giant kielbasa in Mundare, Alberta. Photo Credit: Keith Moore
Linda Hoang and Tracy Moore - CityLine - Canada - Explore Alberta
Mike and I visited the Giant dinosaur in Drumheller, Alberta!

2. Co-Plan or Surprise Your Partner with a Food Crawl (Alberta)

Who doesn’t love a good food crawl? Here’s a secret: they’re really not that hard to plan. Why not give it a try? My husband Mike is used to having me plan food crawls for our dates. My definition of a crawl is that you have to visit at least three different locations!  They can be in walking distance or driving distance, and I generally try to ensure the selected restaurants are all locally-owned, independent establishments. 

You can surprise your partner with a food crawl you’ve planned (no matter where you live!) OR if you’d like a bit of compromise and collaboration, co-plan a food crawl together. Typically I try to make sure at least one of the food crawl locations appeals more to Mike than it does me, to be fair, lol. 

Explore Alberta - Capture Calgary - Tourism Calgary - Food Crawl - Calgary Food Eats Inglewood Cold Garden Beverage Company
I'm a big fan of food crawls! Cold Garden Beverage Co. was a stop on a Calgary food crawl double date I planned (pre-pandemic).

3. Do the ‘Date Night Challenge’ at a local store (Alberta)

Have you seen this trend on TikTok? I first saw it from @indiasasha. You basically choose a store (usually a grocery/general/department kind of store so it’s got a variety of products but it can really be any store), and each go off on your own to buy your preference for the following categories:

  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Themed item (maybe for a holiday)
  • An activity to do together
  • An item that is your partner’s favourite colour 
  • An item that reminds you of your partner
  • An item your partner needs
  • An item your partner wants
  • An item your partner should try

Then your date night is revealing what you bought (when you get home) and then using the different items you bought that night! I think this is such a cute idea and you can really customize it with whatever categories you want. Have fun with this!! 

4. See Landmarks via Segway or E-bike (Edmonton & Calgary)

Maybe you’ve seen your city’s landmarks before, but have you seen them via Segway or E-bike? Whether you’re in Edmonton or Calgary, you’ve got a few options for renting Segways and E-bikes to go whiz around your city effortlessly! I am a huge fan of anything electric that speeds up my transportation at low physical effort on my end (lol). You can Segway or E-bike no matter what the season is and be sure to ask the rental spots for recommended routes for prettiest landmarks or to neighbourhoods to hit up local spots for delicious snacks along your trip! 

Explore Alberta - Capture Calgary - Tourism Calgary - Pedego E Bikes - Bow River Pathway - Biking - YYC Bike
Mike and I e-biking through Calgary! What a view.

5. “Take Some Time” to Plan your Finances and Investments (no, really!) 

I think it’s so important to be upfront with your partner about finances and have really open and honest conversations about financial goals. If you’re in or want to be in a serious and healthy relationship, I believe discussing dollars has to be on the table!

Mike and I have been on the same page about our finances and financial goals it feels like since Day 1, and just in the last couple of years (we’re coming on 12 years together, 8 years married in Fall 2021), we finally started dabbling into the world of investments.

So for a Unique Date Idea: ‘Take Some Time’ to talk about and plan your finances and investments with your partner! Ooo, sexy. lol!

March is Fraud Prevention Month and I’m partnering with the Alberta Securities Commission on their “Take Some Time” campaign to help educate Albertans about investment fraud.

It’s so great that more people (and young people) are investing and taking an interest in stocks. Investing can contribute to a healthy financial future, but investing can also be complicated and it’s not always low-risk. Even legitimate opportunities might not be right for you, so it’s important to understand the risks and know not only what you, but your partner, are comfortable with.

There are many fraudulent “opportunities” being advertised on social media and they can look legit (especially with so many apps and websites out there that advertise making investing easy!) It can be awkward and uncomfortable to get yourself out of situations when you might feel pressured to invest and that’s why the ASC has created the Excuse Bot.

Don’t rush into an investment!

‘Take Some Time’ to do your research (as part of your unique date night!)

Explore Edmonton - Date Day Date Night Ideas - Alberta Securities Commission - Fraud Prevention 2
Pizza and a fraud prevention discussion for date night!
Explore Edmonton - Date Day Date Night Ideas - Alberta Securities Commission - Fraud Prevention
Check out the Alberta Securities Commission's fraud prevention tips.
Explore Edmonton - Date Day Date Night Ideas - Alberta Securities Commission - Fraud Prevention 3
Even Thor joined in on our date!

6. Learn To Cook Whatever You Want with an Expert Chef! (Edmonton)

Taking any cooking class with your partner makes for a lovely date night but the menu is typically dictated by the class provider. That’s why I really love Chef Steven Brochu’s of MilkCrate’s twist on cooking classes—you can learn to cook whatever you want to cook, you tell him what you want and he’ll get the ingredients you need and then virtually walk you through exactly how to create that dish! I think this could be really fun and something you could plan to do at least twice—where one partner gets to decide which dish you learn per class. It’s fun and super personalized to you.

Virtual Cooking Classes Steve Brochu MilkCrate Edmonton Food 1
Chef Brochu started offering these classes during the pandemic.
Virtual Cooking Classes Steve Brochu MilkCrate Edmonton Food 2
Cook whatever you want with Chef Brochu!

7. Break Stuff in a Rage Room (Edmonton)

Okay so I feel like we’ve seen this type of thing in movies and TV shows but rarely have we experienced it ourselves. Axe Monkeys, an axe throwing and entertainment company in Edmonton, is letting you let out some anger by destroying stuff in their RAGE ROOM! You simply book a session in their smash therapy room—choose a weapon, walk in, and just smash things (alone, in groups, or in the case of this suggestion, with your partner as a Date Night!) What a great way to release some pent up feelings. 

Also I guess you could also do an Axe Throwing Date Night, lol that is pretty different too! 

Rage Room Axe Monkeys Edmonton Explore Edmonton 2
De-stress for Date Night at Axe Monkeys!
Rage Room Axe Monkeys Edmonton Explore Edmonton
Break things in the Axe Monkeys RAGE ROOM.

8. Snap Photos on an Instagrammable Wall Walk (Alberta)

Hello, I’m the Instagrammable Wall / Walks girl so of course I’m going to suggest it in a blog about Date Night (or Day) ideas, ha! Pick a neighbourhood, use some existing maps and resources listing murals and walls, and create your walking route! Look up and add food stops along the way. Not only will this date idea result in super cute photos to share on social media (proof of cute date! lol) but it will also introduce you to artists, neighbourhoods and restaurants. Win, win, win.

TIP: bring a third / photographer to get cute photos of you and your partner with the wall! 

Trash Hectic Collective - Instagrammable Walls - Whyte Ave - Explore Edmonton
Bring along a photographer so you get some cute photos of you and your partner together with the Instagrammable Wall!

9. Go-Kart or Bob Sleigh at WinSport Canada’s Olympic Park (Calgary)

I wanted to suggest ideas you could do anytime of year but I couldn’t resist including the Go-Kart or Bob Sleigh Adventures you can do at WinSport Canada’s Olympic Park in Calgary—even though it’s only offered during the summer season. We’ve done both and it’s definitely a unique experience! The bob sleigh is a bit terrifying but the go-karting is totally manageable lol. 

Go Kart WinSport Calgary Skyline Luge Adventure Explore Edmonton
Downhill go-karting in Calgary back in 2014!
Go Kart WinSport Calgary Skyline Luge Adventure Explore Edmonton 2
The bob sleigh is exhilarating and terrifying! lol

10. Find Fun in the River Valley (Swing + Feed Birds – Edmonton)

There’s lots of unique date ideas nestled in Edmonton’s river valley, whether it’s Feeding Chickadees at Whitemud Creek Ravine (if you bring bird feed it’s basically a guarantee that the chickadees will eat right out of your hand—year-round), thanks to Mandy Gommerud @mrs_mandyann for sharing this lovely photo, and video of her feeding chickadees! Or heading north not far from Kinnaird Park is Edmonton’s River Valley Swing! Go for a hike and then a swing (maybe even a dip in the water) for that super cute and date idea (summertime only). That’s really just two interesting things to discover in the river valley but there’s a lot to do in Canada’s largest stretch of urban parkland (that’s Edmonton’s river valley!) 

River Valley Whitemud Creek Ravine Chickadees Feed Birds - Explore Edmonton - Adventure - River Valley - Mandy Gommerud
Photo credit: @mrs_mandyann (IG)
River Valley Swing - Explore Edmonton - Adventure - River Valley
Find the River Valley Swing!

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So those are just 10 date ideas you can use to plan your adventures with your partner (or your friends, really!) 

But seriously, having an open and honest conversation with your partner about finances and investments is important for any serious and healthy relationship.

It’s amazing that more people (and more young people!) are investing and showing interest in the stock market, but it’s not always straightforward and it’s not always low-risk.

Take Some Time to educate yourself about investment fraud and investment best practices to ensure you don’t get scammed!

Try out the Alberta Securities Commission’s Excuse Bot—it’s a funny chat bot ASC has created that offers up excuses you can use to get out of an uncomfortable investment conversation and help you Take Some Time before you invest (try to ask for a few excuses and let me know what your favourite is!) Also find free investment and fraud prevention resources at the link below.

Thanks to the Alberta Securities Commission for partnering with me to spread this important message.

This blog post is sponsored by the Alberta Securities Commission.

Explore Edmonton - Date Day Date Night Ideas - Alberta Securities Commission - Fraud Prevention 4
Use and share my blog post: 10 Unique Date Ideas in Alberta!

Linda

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  • I like what you are posting and thought you may be interested in visiting our place. We are a specialty Airbnb in Sherwood Park and we offer unique date nights, staycations and private gatherings. Please take a look and let us know if you would be interested in working together.

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