Valentine’s Day is on Sunday this year.
For the majority of LDS BYU students, this means celebrating the holiday before its actual day. Here is a list of five things to do over Valentine’s weekend in Provo.
1. Attend a romantic concert or play.
The Utah Lyric Opera is performing “Love is in the Air,” a Valentine’s concert that features songs from famous musicals such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Westside Story,” “The Secret Garden” and “Romeo and Juliette.”
Elizabeth Hansen, the executive director of the opera said, “It is a wonderful concert for people who are in love for the first time or have been in love for the lifetime.”
The concert stars the three tenors of ULTIMI, a performing trio: Isaac Hurtado, Brian Stucki and Tyler Nelson.
“They are really glorious singers,” Hansen said.
The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Loveland Performing Arts Center in Provo. Tickets cost from $10 to $20.
2. Go chocolate tasting.
Taste, a tasting boutique on University Avenue in Provo, will be holding a Valentine’s Day tasting event on Feb. 12 and 13 — from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. Couples can celebrate Valentine’s Day over a plate of delicious chocolate for $40.
Taste also provides a second option for guests. For $60, customers can spend some time with one of the boutique’s chocolate masters. This private chocolate tasting is held on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 5 p.m.
3. Have a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.
Communal, located on University Avenue, is offering a special three-course menu on Saturday, Feb. 13. The menu includes roasted beet tartare and beet vinaigrette for an appetizer, pasta love letters or house-made soup for a first course, prime sirloin and butter poached lobster and amano chocolate torte for a second course and buttermilk panna cotta with pomegranate in pomegranate syrup for dessert. This costs $55 per guest and requires a reservation.
4. Go snowshoeing.
BYU student Ruby Skagerberg plans on spending Valentine’s Day outdoors with her boyfriend snowshoeing, home-cooked food included.
“We are going to wake up in the morning and cook a big breakfast with eggs and bacon,” Skagerberg said. “Then after packing sack lunches, we will head up Stewart Falls and snowshoe up the mountain. After eating lunch, we will head back down the mountain for some hot cocoa.”
Packing homemade food can be a good alternative to spending money, while hiking and snowshoeing takes advantage of the winter weather.
5. Have a picnic in the car.
BYU pre-acting student Brittney Metler has had picnics in a car. She and her boyfriend, BYU student Jake Neely, prove it is a great idea for those who are looking for a simple, creative way for a date.
“I took out my middle seat of a van and put it in my parking spot,” Metler said. “Jake and I cooked soup and made some sandwiches. Then we grabbed a bunch of blankets and took all the stuff to my car. We just drove to a local park and then laid out some blankets in the back. We set up all the food and had a great picnic bundled up.”
6. Go dancing.
For those staying on BYU campus during Valentine’s weekend, BYUSA is hosting Sweetheart Swing, a Valentine’s Day ’50s style dance.
The dance is from 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. at the Wilkinson Center ballroom. It includes ice cream and a photo booth. Those who do not know how to swing dance can attend a class starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $20.
If everything else fails, there is always the tried-and-true option of the classic movie-and-dinner date. Many romantic movies are streaming on Netflix. From rom-coms to romance dramas to classic love stories, every couple is bound to find something appealing.
