Valentine’s Day is next week, and Hillsdale offers plenty of ways to celebrate.
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The Collegian’s guide to Valentine’s Day dates
Whether you’re dorm-bound or able to travel far, here are some date ideas for the special day:
Pizza Date Night
Enjoy a couples pizza-making class for $65 at Tiki Sam’s Pizza in Horton on Monday night. The experience includes custom aprons and toppings galore — plus, it’s far enough from campus that you and your sweetheart are guaranteed privacy. Visit tikisamspizza.com to book your spot (gluten and dairy-free options included, in case your valentine is picky).
Catch a Show
With options ranging from “Titanic” to “Puss in Boots” to “Avatar,” Hillsdale’s movie theater is a great date option. The Collegian doesn’t endorse illegal activity. If we did, we may encourage readers to get to their seats early and send one person to Little Caesar’s, allowing the second to smuggle them and a pizza back through the exit door well before showtime.
Dance the Night Away
If you’re willing to drive, Sharon’s Dance Studio in Kalamazoo, is hosting a Valentine’s Couple Workshop on Tuesday evening. The ballroom dance lessons are $25 per couple. RSVP to sharons_dance@yahoo.com or call 269-544-2420.
Sushi-Making
Sushi kits sell for as low as $11 on Amazon. Impress with your cooking skills (rice isn’t too difficult to get right) if you want a night in. Peanut avocado or vegetable rolls do the trick just fine if raw fish grosses you out.
Art Spot
Paint pottery at Toasted Mud, which is just a short walk from campus. Pottery options range from $5 and up.
Listen to the Music
Head to Howard Music Hall at noon on Valentine’s Day for a performance by the Joy String Quartet. With free desserts and a sprinkle of Broadway and jazz music, this one’s sure to hit.
For a Thrill
Michigan boasts some of the most haunted places in the country, sure to impress your thrill-seeking partner. About 11 miles from Hillsdale, Church Road is allegedly haunted by a man who killed his family then himself. Many have seen glowing red eyes peering at them from the cornfield — and who doesn’t love red on Valentine’s Day? Also just a short drive from campus, the medical care facility Maple Lawn used to be an asylum. The building is privately owned, but that shouldn’t stop you from exploring outside. For a more romantic, albeit more boring spooky date, take a romantic graveyard walk.
Sports Moment
With weather predictions in the 40s, a hike or bike ride on Lewis Emery Park’s scenic trails would be a great afternoon date idea. Pack a picnic or grab sandwiches to-go.
Boozy Fun
Stop in for a nightcap or a game night at everyone’s favorite hang spot. Rough Draft’s Valentine’s Day drink is a cranberry-lemon moscow mule, garnished with rose petals.
Duel it Out
What Collegian reporter Aidan Cyrus ’22 once deemed the “cure for Hillsdating,” Blade & Bones is the perfect place to test the strength of your relationship. Although the knife store doesn’t have a Valentine’s Day special (yet), call the owner to see if you can set up a dueling match with your loved one. Romance is sure to heat up as you’re whacking each other with PVC pipes. (Also: single Simpson boys looking for a place to drown their miseries might find this a good place to commiserate.)
For the Single Ladies (and Men)
You don’t need a date to celebrate love. Do all of the above with a friend or by yourself. Or — offer babysitting services to a professor or couple, bake, visit a bar, go ice skating in a neighboring town, or call your family.
Your soul is made for love. Act like it next week — perhaps over pizza or a duel.
