Love is in the air here in Boulder, as Valentine’s Day swiftly approaches. Now is the time when Boulderites quit burning their incense, and start lighting their scented candles.  Flowers, wine, chocolates, and (hopefully) condoms are flying off the shelves as the whole city begins to celebrate the international day of love.

Some will be doting on their significant others with lavish gifts and romantic gestures, while others will be in a mad dash to rustle up a new significant other before the buzzer. (Really, how significant do they have to be? By the way, do you know if that toothless person sleeping on Pearl Street is single?)

If Cupid’s arrow didn’t strike a bullseye for you this year (or maybe missed the target completely), there’s no need to fret. At least you won’t have to get dragged to some sappy Valentine’s Day movie (I’m looking at you, Endless Love). Plus you’ll be able to save your money, and then spend it all on February 15^th and buy all the half-priced candy you can eat!

You also have the option of going out to the bars. You know what they say: there’s plenty of extremely desperate fish in the sea. That, or you could sit at home and watch the new season of House of Cards and grumble to yourself about how Valentine’s Day is a conspiracy invented purely for profit by the card and candy corporations (despite the fact that it’s actually been celebrated for hundreds of years). If all else fails, there’s nothing like the unconditional love you can get from your dog (If you don’t have a dog, then I don’t know what to tell you, maybe go out and find a squirrel or something).

For those of you who DO have a significant other, or at the very least a hot date that you need to impress on Friday, here are a few local activities that you can partake in this Valentine’s Day:

The Boulder International Film Festival

Celebrate the holiday and support a good cause by joining the Boulder International Film Festival’s fundraising event, “Foovie.” This event will have a French theme (how romantic) and will include food, wine, music and, of course, film at eTown Hall in downtown Boulder.

West Flanders Brewing Company


What better way to spend the day of love than with the thing that we love most: beer. West Flanders will be preparing a special three-course meal (paired with beer or wine) for you to enjoy with that special someone this Friday. Also, you can each shake your respective groove thing to live music, which will start at 10pm.

The Chautauqua Dining Hall


If there’s one thing that Boulderites love, it’s hiking as much as physically possible. The weather looks to be getting nicer this week, so why not work up an appetite hiking around Chautauqua before enjoying a lovely four-course prix fixe menu at the Chautauqua Dining Hall?

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse


Nothing brings people together like a nice pot of tea. Wine also works, and they have that as well. The Dushanbe Teahouse will be offering a four-course prix fixe menu as well as a limited version of their normal menu for you and your sweetheart to enjoy.

Shine


If you’re looking to mix things up this year, I’d recommend going to Shine this Friday. There you can enjoy a specialized menu while watching a performance by the Rocky Mountain Kings and Boulder Burlesque’s performance of “Draglesque.”

Hotel Boulderado


If you really want to impress that special someone, I suggest that you take them to the Hotel Boulderado where you can class it up with a three-course dinner on the Mezzanine. Also, enjoy the Brazilian influenced music of the Chico Meira, who will be performing live.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Boulder, you foxy town, you.

David Westreich