6 Valentine’s Day date ideas in Harrisburg (that aren’t just dinner!)

Spend some quality time with your valentine in Harrisburg, whether you’re relaxing at a spa, painting pottery, or exploring the city together. 

You can book a fancy restaurant on Valentine’s Day and join the dozens of other couples getting dressed up for a feast they don’t have to cook. But you can also embark on other dates that let you and your valentine try new things, practice your creativity, or enjoy local entertainers. Before you make your Harrisburg Valentine’s Day plans, think about what you and your date value: Art? Exploring? Relaxation? Perhaps you want to shake things up this year and do date night beyond dinner!

Or maybe you really just want to go out for a delicious feast on Valentine’s Day — that’s great, too, because Harrisburg is home to plenty of excellent restaurants, fine dining or otherwise. 

However you’d like to celebrate Valentine’s Day, there’s a date night activity in Harrisburg just waiting to be put on the calendar.

1. Enjoy a fantastic dinner out together

Hey, dinner out on Valentine’s Day is a classic for a reason. The holiday is a wonderful excuse to spend a night out on the town with your sweetie while enjoying incredible food — and getting to skip doing the dishes. You can book a reservation at a traditional fine dining restaurant, which will offer gourmet food and a special ambiance — alongside, of course, higher prices. For instance, Rubicon is one of the best restaurants in Harrisburg, offering modern Italian cuisine and incredible service. You can also grab a gourmet, albeit pricy, four-course meal at the Historic King Mansion, which is being transformed into a fine dining restaurant just for Valentine’s Day. Plus, the warm and inviting note. bistro & winebar will have specials all weekend beginning Valentine’s Day. Email the restaurant to make a reservation because it’s filling up fast!

For a more relaxed (but just as mouthwatering) dinner, book a table at Appalachian Brewing Company for its Valentine’s Beer Dinner, which features four courses complete with beer pairings. 

The historic building that houses Rubicon was completely renovated for the fine dining restaurant, with a center bar as a key asset. (Fly Magazine/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

2. Take a quick overnight trip — or a staycation — together 

You don’t have to treat Valentine’s Day like a simple date night—you can plan a mini-vacation to celebrate the holiday! A number of romantic hotels in the area are perfect for a Harrisburg staycation or a quick vacation to a nearby town. 

For a staycation, Harrisburg’s Inn of the Dove is a charming inn focused on romantic experiences for its guests. Rooms may have Jacuzzis, showers with double heads, and comforting fireplaces. There’s even a suite with a private, heated swimming pool! Plus, you can request special add-ons, like chilled champagne when you arrive or rose petals on the bed. You might also enjoy a night at the Manor On Front, a historic bed and breakfast on the Susquehanna River with gorgeous views and an incredible homemade breakfast. 

You can also travel just a short distance while feeling like you’re in a different world — or a different era! Stone Gables Estates in nearby Elizabethtown is hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner and dance in its historic Star Barn, featuring a gourmet meal alongside a 1940s jazz band. The estate is also home to seven properties where you could stay the night after the dance.

3. Explore Midtown Harrisburg together

Grab your jacket and explore one of the coolest neighborhoods in Harrisburg. In Midtown, the Broad Street Market — the oldest continuously operating market house in the country — is one of the best places to visit in Harrisburg for both tourists and locals. You can hit up the market on a tour of the city to support local vendors while benefiting from delicious food. There are enough food sellers at the market that you could pick up dinner for yourselves or grab some ingredients and make your own meal at home!

The Broad Street Market in Midtown Harrisburg is the oldest continuously operating market house in the country. (Kalena Thomhave)

Across the street from the market, Midtown Scholar Bookstore and Café is a gorgeous, independent bookstore filled with two levels of books. You can spend a couple of hours browsing the aisles for your next favorite read (book club with your boo?) or hanging out at one of the café tables with a warm drink.

Finally, if you’re wandering the streets when the Susquehanna Art Museum is open, take a detour to visit the museum’s extensive and diverse collection of artwork, displayed in intriguing exhibits.

4. Relax together with a couples massage 

Experience the romance of relaxation by booking a spa day (or night!) with your valentine. The shared intimacy of a couples massage and the calm that it inspires will feel rejuvenating for you both — and perhaps for your relationship, too! You can visit Harrisburg’s Essence Spa for a 60-minute couples massage. During Valentine’s Day weekend, you’ll also be treated to champagne and tasty treats while you’re massaged by candlelight.

You can also book a couples massage at Polished Spa, just across the river from the city. Polished also offers champagne (or wine or tea) with its service.

5. See a show together

Whether you like live music, comedy, or both, there’s a show for you happening on Valentine’s Day in Harrisburg. For those who love to laugh, you can take a quick trip to New Cumberland for a night at the Harrisburg Comedy Zone. The standup comedy club — which shares a site with Boomerang Bar & Grill and the Magnusson Grand Hotel if you’re looking to make an overnight trip — is a stand-up comedy club that hosts shows every Friday and Saturday. On Feb. 14, comedian Rachel Williams headlines a Valentine’s Day comedy show. She’s also performing the following evening (Feb. 15).

For music (and film) lovers, you can attend a Fever Candlelight concert at Harrisburg’s Rose Lehrman Arts Center on Valentine’s Day night. The concert will feature the Listeso String Quartet playing love songs from classic films, like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” by Elton John and “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. The classical musicians will be surrounded by thousands of candles, creating a romantic atmosphere perfect for the love-themed holiday.

Candlelight concerts host local musicians surrounded by thousands of candles. (Fever)

And if you love comedy and live music, check out My Funny Valentine Cabaret presented by the Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus and Theatre Harrisburg. Hosted by local drag queen Betty Whitecastle, the cabaret promises both music and laughs. The show will take place at the Krevsky Production Center in Harrisburg. Plus, tickets include dessert!

6. Make something together

Have a DIY date night by flexing your creative muscles with your Valentine’s Day date. Candle Kreationz, a candle-making bar, allows guests to pour and mix their own candles. The Steelton shop is hosting Valentine’s Day events for couples on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15. You’ll create your own candles (perhaps trying to make a candle that reminds you of your Valentine?) while playing games and drinking wine.

Harrisburg’s Color Me Mine ceramic painting studio is also hosting a Valentine’s Day date night for creative couples. Besides the paint-your-own pottery that the shop usually offers, you’ll also be treated to a romantic pasta dinner that includes dessert. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.