Hello and welcome to the month of love.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which is my second favorite holiday because I love candy. But also because I’m also one of those people who just really loves love and I love a good excuse to go do something fun. Soo I thought up some fun date nights for you all that you can do right now, right here in Boise. And none of them are going to get a drink or dinner because those are obvious. I chose the below because:

• They are suitable for all kinds of dates, not just the romantic kind.
• You might not do these things alone (but you definitely could).
• Nothing costs more than $100.
• Everything is local.
• It's all super fun - duh!

Here's some ideas for your next date night <3 Have fun, lovers!

Take a clay class

You know that sexy scene in Ghost where they throw clay together on the wheel? Channel those vibes in a clay workshop at Clay Collective, The Potter’s Center, or A Way with Clay. These are perfect for friend dates, parent/kid dates, and maybe even first dates?! No matter who you are with, it's fun & you should try it!

Go skating

Skating just brings you back to the carefree childhood days, ya know? Also, it’s one of those activities that you don’t have to be good at to do. Like look at me below. I fell the whole time and look how much fun I am having. Go skate at Treasure Valley Skate - it's open every day of the week!

Go see a movie at The Flicks

Things I love about The Flicks: indie movies, small theaters and no crowds, a full bar and restaurant, and the fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. The Flicks is perfect for all kinds of dates. Even solo dates. You can see the current movie lineup here (these end Thursday!) and next movie lineup here.

Go dancing

Ok, this one probably falls more into the romantic date category, but who says you can’t go out dancing with friends too? There’s a few places to find dancing:

​Ochos is a beautiful cocktail and wine bar downtown that has a dance club upstairs. They host dance nights for tango, salsa, bachata, and swing several times a month. Check out the calendar for upcoming classes.

​Tango Boise hosts weekly dance classes and dance nights at multiple locations in Boise for all levels. Your first class is always free! Check out the calendar for upcoming classes.

​The Buffalo Club has swing dancing on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday nights, and line dancing on Thursday nights. Free lessons are taught from 7:30-9pm, then it's open dance after that.

Cook together

Regardless of who the head chef is in your household, cooking classes make fun date nights. We have two really great options for cooking classes in the Treasure Valley:

​Season + Taste offers adult classes and classes for kids/teens or families. They teach allll kinds of things like how to make hand pies and pasta to French cuisine and cooking with beer. See upcoming classes here.

​Sur La Table at The Village at Meridian is a kitchen store but has tons of cool cooking classes. Learn to make pasta from scratch, bake brioche bread, discover Morroccan cuisine, decorate cupcakes, or sharpen your knife skills. Check out upcoming classes here.

Go rock climbing

Do something out of your comfort zone and try rock climbing! We have some really amazing indoor climbing gyms like Asana, Vertical View, and The Commons for you to try it out. I know it's super intimidating but our rock climbing community is super nice and welcomes newbies. Once you get the hang of climbing, you can head out to the Black Cliffs for the real deal.

Play games at Spacebar

When was the last time you played PacMan or Burger Time? Dig out all your quarters and head down to Spacebar for game night. If you've never been, Spacebar has dozens of arcade games, pinball machines, board games, card games, and video games. On weekends they usually have a live DJ spinning vinyl and have trivia once a week. Grab dinner at Mala Luna and Boise Fry Co, which are both upstairs. Spacebar has a beer and wine bar if you get thirsty.

Go for a drive

Going on a lil drive is one of my favorite things to do with the people I love. Good convo and good views, ya know? Also, Idaho is full of scenic byways and pretty places to see from a car. Some nearby places to take a drive: Highway 21, Highway 95, Swan Falls, Arrowrock Road or go out to Buneau Dunes. And if you are down to drive literally all day long, check out the Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway. Alsooo you could drive to see some of the hisotrical sites I've written about, like Celebration Park, Mary Foote's home, the James Castle house, or the Schick-Ostalasa Farmstead.

I'll share some more Valentine's specific events on Thursday. What are you favorite date night activities this time of year? Let me know what I missed --> marissa@fromboise.com

Thanks for reading!

With love from Boise,

Marissa

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