Love it or hate it, February 14 is quickly approaching, and this year brings an opportunity to embrace the day of the heart. Whether you’re looking for a family celebration, something to impress your preteen, or you are one of the lucky parents who scored a babysitter, we’ve rounded up an assortment of ideas to make Valentine’s Day 2024 a core memory.
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FANCY FAMILY DINNER
We love this idea from a reader, who says that every year, her family of six treats themselves to a formal(ish) night at home. Her husband and son “arrive” to the house and ring the bell, greeting the gals (wife and three daughters) with flowers and an official invite to dinner. They all dress up, set a pretty tablescape, and sit down to a steak dinner before going around the table naming things they love about each person. “It’s a really sweet evening. Even my college-aged daughter still comes home to participate,” she says. No grillmaster at home? No problem. Choose your family’s favorite meal instead (breakfast for dinner heart-shaped pancakes), or order takeout. Make dessert as decadent as you want, whether it’s break-and-bake cookies or an entire chocolate fondue setup. Cap off the evening snuggled up on the couch with a family-friendly movie. Some of our favorite picks include Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie, Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You, True: Happy Hearts Day, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, You’ve Got Mail, Lady and the Tramp, Sleepless in Seattle, and My Girl. For older families, may we cheekily suggest Jim and Pam’s wedding on The Office (“Niagra: Part 1 and Part 2”)? (A family dance “down the aisle” would be so fun!)
GALENTINE’S GATHERING
A fun event we stumbled upon gave us all the heart eyes! Blooms & Bubbly, hosted at Emmy Squared Pizza at The Summit is billed as a “galentine’s bouquet bash.” Participants will gather on February 9 for a floral workshop with Dimples Flowers. Miley Cyrus tells us we can buy our own flowers, and for $65 per person, you can make your own, too! The crew from Dimples will guide you through the step-by-steps of building your own bouquet. Emmy Squared is providing refreshments, and a permanent jewelry vendor will be on-site with baubles and bling. (Matching bracelets are giving 90s BFF necklace vibes!) This is such a fun mom-daughter date night option. For more information and to register, visit thesummitbirmingham.com/play.
ADULT DATE NIGHT
Once again, Alabama Theatre is showing the classic film Casablanca on the big screen for Valentine’s Day. (Full disclosure: My husband and I have done this for several years, ending our evening with our traditional Waffle House dinner, complete with DIY heart-shaped shared waffle. Highly recommend!) Get there early for good seats and a singalong with the iconic Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster; visit alabamatheatre.com for more information.
Another original event, The Birmingham Musuem of Art hosts Candlelight: Valentine’s Day featuring Romeo and Juliet and More. At this concert, guests will experience a live, multisensory musical event in a glowing romantic setting. Enjoy compositions such as “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Henry Mancini); “Love Theme” from Romeo and Juliet (Nino Rota); “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic (James Horner and Céline Dion); and more performed by the Listeso String Quartet. There are two performances to choose from, 6:30 or 8:45 p.m. Grab an early dinner beforehand, or a late-night dessert for two after the late show. Tickets are available through feverup.com.
Of course, you still want to do something special for the kiddos, so set the sitter up for success with a heart-shaped pizza from Papa John’s or Papa Murphy’s and stock the freezer with their favorite ice cream and sundae fixin’s. Before you head out for the evening, flip the order and read a bedtime story together. On our shelves: Love, Escargot, When PB Met J, How to Catch a Loveosaurus, and Heart String. Check them out, along with other recs, at our local library branch.
GET CRAFTY
Keep your celebrations simple with a card-making event at the Titusville Library (2 6th Avenue SW). The library will provide all necessary supplies to DIY Valentine’s Day cards. Adults may join February 14 at 11 a.m. and youth at 3:30 p.m. (Registration required.) Visit cobpl.org for more information.