I had a funny conversation with my husband Mike the other day, when I mentioned that there was an event happening on Saturday Feb. 15, 2020 and assumed people would go to the event as a Valentine’s activity.
Mike: “Valentine’s Day is on a Friday. People don’t celebrate Valentine’s all weekend.”
Me: “I would?!?”
lol wouldn’t you?!
This year Mike will actually be out of town working during Valentine’s Weekend (lol), so I may very well not be celebrating all weekend after all but I’m sure we’ll end up doing a virtual Valentine’s via FaceTime, lol.
For couples (or friends!) who will be in the same city during this especially romantic time of year, below are events and ideas for things to do leading up to, on and during the weekend of Valentine’s Day 2020!
Note: there are a lot of things to do for Valentine’s in Edmonton, it just depends on your preferences (and price points!) There’s a lot of fun you can do to celebrate at home too! This is just a selection I think might be of interest but certainly doesn’t cover all things or things that might be meaningful for your specific couple/situation.
15+ Things To Do For Valentine’s Day in Edmonton (Date Ideas)
Last Updated: Jan. 20, 2019
1. Swirl, sip and savour at Winefest
Winefest returns to Edmonton Valentine’s weekend! Your ticket gets you all-inclusive wine and food samples featuring more than 300 wines from 60 wineries around the world, local food / Hors d’oeuvres, and a take-home Riedel wine glass. The event is also collecting donations for the Edmonton Food Bank!
Dates: Friday, Feb 14 + Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Time: Various times
Cost: $87-$92 per person
Location: Edmonton Convention Centre
2. Spark some of that magic at a live magic show!
So excited for this one! So this was the event I was referring to at the beginning of the blog post. If Mike was in town we would certainly be catching Justin Willman’s Magic in Real Life Tour together. As he won’t be in town, I still ended up booking tickets so I will be witnessing some magical moments with a girlfriend.
I LOVE Justin Willman’s Netflix show Magic for Humans!!! (Watch some clips on his website)
Watch a few episodes of the Netflix show if you need some convincing but once you do you’re going to want to grab your tickets for this family-friendly, all-ages show!
Dates: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Time: 7 p.m.
Cost: $40 per person
Location: Myer Horowitz Theatre
3. Celebrate Winter at the Silver Skate Festival
Edmonton’s largest and longest-running winter festival returns this Feb 7-17, 2020, including activities that occur over the Valentine’s Day weekend! Bundle up and get outside!!!
There’s a bunch of cute + fun free activities you can do at the Silver Skate Festival (like public ice skating at Hawrelak Park, touring through their Fire Sculpture Installations, Snow Garden and Folk Trail, sleigh rides or free live music in their Main Tent from some of Alberta’s best musicians) or there are ticketed events that might be up your alley, like the culinary Longtable Dinners, Battle of the Neighbourhoods, or Spirits on Ice (BoN + Spirits has free admission but you need to purchase tickets if you want food + drinks!)
One year, there was even a romantic proposal at the Silver Skate Festival during the Lantern Walk!!
Dates: Feb 12-16, 2020 (Valentine’s Day “Weekend”)
Time: Various Events + Activities
Cost: Free + Ticketed Events
Location: Hawrelak Park
4. Watch an outdoor movie on a giant ice screen
Cuddle up to your cutie at the world’s only outdoor winter film festival! The International Festival of Winter Cinema takes place at Hawrelak Park as part of Silver Skate Festival activities but I figured it deserved its own entry. The film festival is still confirming its dates but will likely end up screening flicks on its giant, outdoor ice screen during the Valentine’s / Family Day long weekend.
Dates: Feb 13-16, 2020
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Hawrelak Park
5. Go on an Instagrammable Ice Castles adventure
What better gift could you give your partner than an icy, Instagrammable photo shoot at Edmonton’s Ice Castles, the only Ice Castles attraction in Canada? Watch my video below for some scenes from this year’s Ice Castles (I got more views on social media but give the YouTube version some love lol), or check out my blog post from last year on 8 Must-Take Photos at the Edmonton Ice Castles (each year the design of the castle changes slightly but for the most part the guide holds up!)
Dates: Feb 12-16, 2020 (Valentine’s “Weekend”)
Time: Various times
Cost: $14-$18 per person
Location: Hawrelak Park
6. Snow Tube on Valentine’s Day at Sunridge Ski Area
Keeping the icy date ideas going, how about a night of Snow Tubing at Sunridge Ski Area? There will be live music, a local brewery on site, and fire pits.
Dates: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Time: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: $23 per person
Location: Sunridge Ski Area
7. Meet someone at The Rec Room + YEGDate’s Speed Dating
I love how they’re describing this in-person speed dating event: 3D Tinder! lol this Age 25+ event will introduce you to 20 local singles where you could find a potential match!
Dates: Thursday, Feb 13, 2020
Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $23 per person
Location: The Rec Room South Edmonton Common
8. Take in a Candlelight Partner Massage Workshop
This sells out every year! Usually I make my Valentine’s Day event lists a lot later (but not even a lot later, like beginning of February) and usually by beginning of February this intimate, candlelight partner massage workshop is already fully booked so if you’re reading this now, you want to learn touch techniques to deliver an incredible message for your partner, and you see there are still tickets available, you’ll want to scoop these up immediately!
Dates: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Time: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $150 per couple
Location: Vibe Lofts (Downtown)
9. Solve a Valentine’s MURDER MYSTERY!!!
This is also another annual event that always sells out so if you’ve always wanted to do a Murder Mystery event and you see tickets are still available for this one, GET THEM before they’re gone!
“Enjoy Valentine’s set in the ’20s with other molls and dolls as we celebrate in a speakeasy. There will be gangsters, flappers, chippies and of course…murder! Celebrate Valentine’s with with a little…murder! Dress the part!”
This event features Roaring 20s themed Valentine’s cocktails and dinner buffet with seven professional actors dispersed amongst the guests incognito until…all hell breaks loose.
Dates: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Time: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: $99 per person
Location: Sawmill Prime Rib Steak House (South Edmonton)
10. Laugh at a Valentine’s Comedy Show
Mike and I love to laugh and if you’re the kind of person who looks for a sense of humour in a partner, you’ll probably really enjoy a Valentine’s Weekend comedy show.
You’ve got a few options:
- Donnell Rawlings at The Comic Strip (Feb 13-16)
- “The Stand-up Show” ft. Marito Lopez at The Grindstone. (Feb 14)
- “The 11’o Clock Number: The Improvised Musical Valentine’s Special” (Feb 14)
- Steve McGowan Comedy Show at YukYuk’s (Feb 14)
- “Lovesick Cabaret” at The Grindstone. (Feb 15)
- “The Day After Valentine’s Day Comedy Show with Rob Pepper” (Feb 15)
- Comedy Night at Urban Tavern (Feb 16)
Various prices and locations!
11. Dance at a Beginner Salsa Workshop
Salsa your way to your partner’s heart by learning a dance love language at the “Absolute Beginners’ Latin Salsa Workshop” with E-TOWN SALSA.
Dates: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. start times
Cost: $60 per couple
Location: ETOWN SALSA (10923 101 Street)
12. Swing ‘n’ Skate at City Hall
Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to jump and jive in City Hall OR skate on the new City Hall fountain ice as part of the Edmonton Arts Council’s Swing ‘n’ Skate event happening every Sunday in January and February from 1 to 4 p.m. Do this on Valentine’s Sunday Feb. 16.
There is free live music from local bands and dance lessons with Sugar Swing Ballroom. It is all ages and no experience required!
Free skate rentals are available on a first come, first served basis.
Dates: Sunday, Feb 16, 2020
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Location: City Hall (Downtown Edmonton)
13. Have Dinner and a Show (maybe recreate your first date?)
Mike and I had a very classic first date: dinner and a movie. So over our last few Valentine’s (and Togetherversaries), we would often replicate our first date as one of the ways to celebrate our love!
There is literally no shortage of restaurants to dine in Edmonton!
Some might have Valentine’s specials, which you may be after! Some may not. Some may be pricier because it’s Valentine’s, some may not. Look for hole-in-the-wall places if you want less pricy, or dine on the Thursday before or Saturday/Sunday after so you avoid the higher Valentine’s Day prices lol. Watch a movie in theatres, a live dinner theatre show perhaps, or come back home for your show (Netflix? Disney+? etc.) You could also just order in, which would be just as lovely I’m sure).
Or you can do a food crawl!!!
But really, you can pick an old favourite, try some place new or eat in!! Any time I’m eating with Mike, I’m happy.
14. Learn how to cook with your sweetheart!
Food is the way to my heart (lol) and I know I’m not alone. So learn how to cook for your sweetheart but better yet—learn how to cook WITH them. There are a few great spots in town offering Valentine’s cooking classes depending on what you’re craving + price points.
Palate’s Culinary Kitchen + Learning Centre
French Style 3-Course Valentine’s Dinner
Join us in celebrating Valentine’s Day with your love. Enjoy creating a 3 course meal and with dining. We start with French onion soup, followed by Poulet Fricassee on a bed of rice, and apple croustade (flaky apple tart). Please bring containers for left overs.
Dates: Friday, Feb 14, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $95 per person
Location: Palates (5546 Calgary Trail)
Tapas & Wine
Spend a sophisticated evening learning how to make delicious small bites that pair perfectly with different wines. At this fun and interactive event we’ll do some tastings and teach you how to make tasty bites like homemade empanadas.
Dates: Friday, Feb 14, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $100 per person
Location:
Late Valentine’s Day
Sorrentino’s Cooking Classes are a hands-on experience where you can enjoy the fruits of your labour with a sit-down dinner to conclude your evening. Wine tastings will be a 3 ounce pour. Late Valentine’s Day menu: Fennel and Orange Salad with Parmesan Oysters with Prosecco Mignonette Chicken With Cinnamon and Oregano Tomato Sauté Chocolate Mousse.
Dates: Saturday, Feb 15, 2020
Time: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cost: $90 per person
Location: Sorrentino’s (Downtown 10665 1095 Street)
Get Cooking’s Valentine’s Day class is already sold out but they have a Valentine’s Dinner in their interactive kitchen space you can attend or a Valentine’s Day Farm Dinner as well.
Not interested in learning from a chef?
Coming up with a menu you want to try to cook together at home would be a lot of fun too!
15. Escape an Escape Room—just the two of you!
Mike and I have tried solving an escape room just us, twice, and have failed both times, lol. Put your wits, your knowledge, your relationship (??? lol) to the test by taking on an escape room—just the two of you.
There are different escape room companies you can try, with many different themes, but I’d absolutely recommend Escape City and GTFO Escape Entertainment!
16. Do an Instagrammable Photo Shoot
Does an afternoon snapping photos of and with your partner (or friends!!) in front of Instagrammable Walls sound like just the best time?!? Its a fun regular outing but it’s extra cute as a Valentine’s date.
Remember… activities based around your partner’s interests and your inside jokes and experiences are the best!!
Mike loves red pandas so for his birthday a few years ago, I arranged a private red panda meet & greet for him at the zoo. Mike has gifted me with bags upon bags of chips before, because I love chips. Whatever the occasion, whatever the experience, gift, idea, the more suited to your partner’s personal preferences, obviously the better! I am all about thoughtful experiences, and maybe one of these ideas will be more thoughtful than others depending on your situation. Like if I had been complaining to Mike about how terrible he is at giving massages, and then he surprised me with tickets to a partner massage workshop where we could both learn how to give better massages, that would be amazing on multiple levels!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
