Hey Bucket Listers, Valentine’s Day is coming up and we’re here to help you find affordable ways to celebrate! If you have a partner, show them you like to think outside the box. Who wants to spend half their paycheck just for some dinner at an overcrowded restaurant? Let’s get creative! Whether you’re single, taken, or in between, there’s something here for everyone. Here are five fun ideas for celebrating Valentine’s Day in Denver.
1.)
Bugs and Brews: Romance is Wild
📍Butterfly Pavilion | Friday, February 13, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Are you and your partner interested in insects and science? This Valentine’s day event encourages learning and fun for adults 21 and up! Listen to mini lectures on spider romance, speed date an insect and enjoy access to special exhibits. Snacks include chocolate covered insects and more. One ticket includes two drinks, and there’s beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options. Tickets are $40 for members and $45 for non-members.
2.)
Picnic at a Park of Your Choosing
📍 Wherever you like to picnic
It looks like Valentine’s Day in Denver is going to be chilly but sunny, so why not enjoy it outside? Set up a picnic with blankets and food that’ll keep you warm. Denver has many parks to choose from, and the best spots include Washington Park, City Park, and Cheesman Park. Whether you’re alone, with friends or family, or with your significant other, picnics can be whatever you want them to be. Bring a book, crafts, a speaker, a bottle of wine, your dogs or whatever makes you happy.
3.)
Buy a Plushie at Flowers and Party Gabby
📍Flowers and Party Gabby (2953 W 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211)
Want to support small, immigrant owned businesses? Want to go big for Valentines Day? Flowers and Party Gabby is the place to go. Located on the corner of Federal Blvd and Denver Place just north of 38th, you’ll find the largest collection of stuffed animals, from small to absolutely huge. The biggest Valentine animals may be hard to get through your front door. Prices begin at $25 and the biggest go for more than $100. The store is stocked to the rafters with special Valentines stuffed animals. These aren’t carnival stuffed animals, they are high quality and many are very elaborate. Everyone loves a plushie, so come support this business!
4.)
Heartbreak Holiday at Federal Theatre
📍Federal Theatre | Saturday, February 14, 6:00 p.m.
If you’re single for Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason to eat a pint of ice cream and cry when there’s so much love in life to celebrate. Listen to live bands, including Gentleman Deluxe & Friends, The Schofields, Scooter James, Micah and the Mirrors, and Silver West. All ages are welcome! The theater is calling this event “a celebration of singlehood and solitude” and “a liturgy for the lovelorn and lonely.” Doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 7:00.
5.)
Mortified: Doomed Valentine’s at Oriental Theater
📍Oriental Theatre | Saturday, February 14, 6:00 p.m.
If you don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day, don’t despair. In fact, laugh your head off. The Oriental Theater presents Mortified: Doomed Valentine’s where folks read from their old journals and diaries about their love woes. Imagine pimple-faced you sharing your middle school crushes. Trust us, it is hysterical. Tickets start at $25.
So, there you go! Those are five ways to celebrate Valentine’s day in creative ways that won’t hurt your wallet or your heart. Ditch the fancy dinner and do something special to embrace the love in your life. We’ll see you next Tuesday for our next Bucket Listicle. In the meantime, check out our Events Calendar to find more fun things to do in February!
Do you have a listicle in mind? Any ideas can be sent to natalie.montoya@colorado.edu.
See you next Tuesday with another Bucket Listicle.
Natalie Montoya
Events Manager/ Bucket List Community News
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