Indy Date Ideas: On a Budget to Lavish and Luxurious
Valentine’s Day is approaching and I know sometimes it can feel like plans are scrambled together, I know it’s been a while since the holidays but it STILL feels like we’re recovering. I actually do love Valentine’s Day and even though I love my boo everyday, it’s nice to have a special day set aside to remind us why we still fight for each other everyday and celebrate us! I’ve listed some fun ideas in Indy to do to celebrate Valentine’s Day, ranging from if you’re on a budget or can afford to go all out! My personal favorite is making pizzas together and watching some Netflix so I’m excited to see what you all will do for Valentine’s!
On A Budget
Indoor Fort and Painting or Crafts - This is the perfect date to do on a budget! You can make a quick trip to Michael’s and grab some poster board or fun paper and print off Pinterest pictures to make a vision board together, or even get some canvases to paint for your place! An indoor fort is such an easy and fun thing to do together (just don’t think about having to clean it up after)
DIY Pizzas and Movie Night - Like I said before, this is one of our favorite things to do for an easy and inexpensive date night! We usually grab some garlic naan, a chunk of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, and pesto from Aldi and throw that in the oven for 10 minutes! Margherita pizza is so easy to make and sooo delicious, and we love making this meal because it was what we had on our first date. As for movies, you can each pick a favorite and enjoy them together!
Game Night at Books N’ Brews - If you and your partner are the competitive type, then Books N’ Brews is the perfect date night! They have tons of board games and great beers to choose from, and if games aren’t your thing you could even bring a book with you and enjoy a little reading date. One of my favorite things about Books N’ Brews is there beers all are named after something literary, like Cream & Punishment or Nancy.
The Idle and Wildwood Market Snacks and Drinks - One of my favorite hidden gems in Indy is the Idle! While it may be chilly this time of year, hear me out - this is a little park in between Fountain Square and Fletcher Place that overlooks the highway, very secluded and romantic! Grab some drinks and snacks from the close by Wildwood Market and enjoy an hour or two just watching cars roll by and talking!
Holcomb Observatory at Butler University - A date like this is so unique and I can’t wait to take my boo and do something fun like this! The planetarium is right on Butler’s campus close to downtown and is great if you’re wanting a date that hasn’t been done before. Public tours of the Holcomb Observatory are only $7 a person so this is a great cheap date. They are even open on Valentine’s Day starting at 7 with the show beginning at 7:30. Take a romantic evening star-gazing without actually having to go outside in the cold!
The Idle: A Point of View https://www.instagram.com/kylejamesfischer/
Middle of the Road
Museum Date - I may be biased (since I’m a museum person) but this is also one of my favorite dates! I know some of the museums in town can be pricier so I’d consider this a middle of the road date night. Visit Newfields and maybe you can make a game of it, like a scavenger hunt for different things within the paintings, or find your favorite ones and chat about them. Also be sure to take a picture in front of the all too apt “LOVE” sign by Robert Indiana.
Sports Event - For those that are more into the “sportsball”, an outing to one of the many sporting events that Indy has to offer! I don’t understand most sports but some of my favorites to go to are the Indy Fuel hockey games or a classic Indiana Pacers basketball game! This is a great gift too because you can give it to your partner on actual Valentine’s Day, but celebrate it at a later date depending on the game schedule. This helps it feel like Valentine’s Day lasts a little longer and you get to savor time with each other more!
Brewery Crawl - One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is grab a drink at a local brewery, and Indy is not lacking in them. The Indy Craft Pass from Visit Indy makes it even easier to try out a bunch of places and get rewarded for it! Depending on how many places you check out, this could be an affordable date or more of a middle of the road experience. One of my favorite places is Guggman House, it’s really quaint and intimate, perfect for date night.
Make It Take It Class at the Indianapolis Art Center - This is the pricier version of the first idea in the budget section, but the experience is well worth it! The Make It Take It classes range in price from around $40 to $85, but you get to water color painting, make your own wooden coasters, blow glass, or wheel throwing and glazing. If you’re more of an artsy couple, these classes would be a perfect way to celebrate the holiday.
Axe Throwing - This is one date I haven’t gotten to do but it sounds like so much fun! It can be a nice switch up from the typical date night that might include bowling or mini golf. I’d definitely recommend this date if you’re more of a competitive couple! There are a couple of places in Indy to go axe throwing like Bad Axe Throwing right downtown and Ragnarok Axe Throwing and Anarchy Axe Throwing in Castleton.
Living it Up in Luxury
Eagle’s Nest - This restaurant has all the luxurious, romantic vibes you’re looking for when it comes to Valentine’s Day. The Eagle’s Nest offers a panoramic view of the city high up, and you know it’s fancy when you must show up in business casual. Visit just to grab a drink, or go all out and get a full meal, they are having a $99 Valentine’s special and this is a great way to make some lasting memories together.
Flix Brewhouse - Flix Brewhouse takes dinner and a movie to a whole new level! I know this is a classic go to kind of date so if you’re wanting a little more than AMC, Flix is the perfect place to take your date. They play all the current and popular films, but also provide a stellar food and drink menu. What’s even better is, you can take your meal into the movie! I can imagine I’d love to enjoy a movie while munching on pretzel sticks and sipping on some Flix Golden Ale.
Tastings - For all of my wine lovers, I know it can be hard to find good wine places in Indy (like I said before, we have tons of great breweries). However, I went to Tastings for my birthday last year and absolutely loved it! You can load up a card to insert into the machines around the restaurant, trying out different glasses of wine from basically the adult version of a vending machine. We also enjoyed some tasty treats from the charcuterie boards on their menu. Tastings actually has gone through some remodeling so it will be opening back up on Valentine’s Day!
Macaron Classes at Macaron Bar - Most of you know, I actually hate almost all desserts. I’m way more of a salty tooth than a sweet tooth, but when Macaron Bar opened on Mass Ave, I can’t seem to pass them up when I walk by. Macaron Bar offers an Intro to Macarons class that lasts 3 hours and is $95, but you get to learn the best ways to make macarons and you’ll get to take home your creations! If you’ve already tried this class out, you could do the Advanced Decorating class and learn more about how to make macarons extra pretty. This is another one of those experiences that can be a great surprise on Valentine’s Day but done another day in the future.
Bar One Fourteen - I’ve talked about this place in one of my earlier blog posts, and still haven’t gotten around to visiting! I think this would be the perfect place for an intimate Valentine’s date night since it only accommodates a small amount of people and has an amazing record collection. Bar One Fourteen was born out of the same people who created Cafe Patachou, another Indy gem.
