By Emily Faerber
Whether you like it or not, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Thankfully, with the help of SMU and the Dallas Community, it doesn’t have to be spent listening to Adele and binge-eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Below is a list of things to do this Valentine’s Day that will excite anyone looking to have a great time this weekend, may you be madly in love, or single and ready to mingle!
1. Strike a Chord
The SMU Meadows School of The Arts has orchestrated, literally and physically, two concerts for the SMU community this upcoming Sunday.
The Student Conductors’ Concert, a smaller-scale version of the Meadows Symphony orchestra, features winners of the Meadows Undergraduate Concerto Competition and will be sure to pull at your heartstrings. The concert begins at 2:30pm in Caruth Auditorium and tickets are free so get there early to claim you and your sweetheart some seats!
Later in the evening, at 7:30pm, internationally acclaimed pianist and SMU alumni Liudmila Georgievskaya and Thomas Schwan will perform a Valentine’s Day Piano Duo Concert, featuring works of Mozart and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3.
2. Treat your Sweet… or Yourself
Whether you’re spending this Sunday with your significant other or have swiftly escaped the prick of Cupid’s arrow, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to hit up the spa for a day of pampering. Hiatus Spa, located off Lovers Lane, offers a wide variety of healing therapies and Valentine’s Day Packages, which include facials, massages, scrubs and much more. So pour yourself a glass of bubbly and get ready for some sweet relaxation.
3. All the Single Ladies!
After an hour (or two) of blissful relaxation, head on over to Bowl and Barrel where they are celebrating #SingleAwarenessDay! Regardless if you’re single or not, Bowl and Barrel’s “Single Awareness Day” is bound to be a blast. From 6:00-10:00pm, snack on some sweet & spicy appetizers and hopefully bowl a few strikes, while ladies dine for free! Another plus? Bring in a picture of your EX that you’re willing to shred, and receive a free drink! Being single does have its perks!
4. Wine & Dine
These flirty activities are bound to work up an appetite… So instead of retreating to your couch with a box of discount chocolates and last week’s episode of The Bachelor, why not splurge on a fun dinner date?
If you’re making a reservation for two, CRU Food and Wine bar is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a romantic three-course dinner. The mouth-watering plates range from pan roasted blue oysters (did someone say aphrodisiac…) to an herb encrusted rack of lamb. And to satisfy those chocolate cravings? End your meal with a sweet chocolate fondue for two.
If, on the other hand, your party is in need of a larger table, hit up Monkey Bar at the Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village. This secret spot is cozy, yet hip and fun for a more laid back Valentine’s Day vibe. Lounge over some chips and guac’, and if you’re 21, make sure to order one of Dallas’s most popular pink drinks – the Mambo Taxi.
5. Roll the Credits
Your classic date? Dinner and a movie. So why not wind down this Valentine’s Day by going to see one of the following movies that are out this week. The Choice, by well-known romance novelists Nicholas Sparks, is a romantic drama that is guaranteed to keep the romantic juices flowing. If you’re still celebrating #SingleAwarenessDay, make sure to catch the romantic comedy How To Be Single staring our favorite funny girls, Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann. Now, if both of these movies make you feel like you could lose your Mi Cocina chips and guac… there’s no need to stick with the mushy romance theme! Zoolander 2 premiers this weekend, and there’s nothing more attractive than a genuine laugh.
