Tracker Pixel for Entry

Skip the clichés and reclaim Valentine’s Day

Culture | February 12th, 2020

cover design by Raul Gomez

Valentine’s Day can inspire annoying questions if you’re single and the spending of a whole lot of time or money if you’re not. So shake up the old routine with fun, unusual and affordable (or even free) activities.

Feel free to disregard traditions that don’t work for you and make new ones that matter. Override date night (even if you’re part of a couple) and meet a group of friends for cocoa, a concert or a barn dance. Trade your usual dinner for two for a salsa lesson, a night at the theatre, or candlelight yoga. Skip the tired red roses and teddy bears and give hand stamped jewelry, homemade bath products or a couple of pints of local craft beer served with something sweet.

Heck, you don’t even have to celebrate on Valentine’s Day. Raise a glass on Thursday or stay out late on Saturday night. Whatever you choose to do for Valentine’s Day, do it your way.

Snacks, Treats and Drinks
Beer My Valentine
February 14-15, 4 p.m.
Drumconrath Brewing Company in Fargo
Buy a $20 ticket on Valentine’s Day and score two pints and sweet treats from Nichole’s Fine Pastry and Café to enjoy on Friday or Saturday. facebook.com/drumconrathbrewingcompany

Coffee and Cocoa Crawl
February 15, 10 a.m.
Downtown Fargo
Score coffee and cocoa samples at 20 downtown Fargo locations. Admission is $15, and free for kids 10 and under. frostival.com

Valentine’s Day Cocktails
February 15, 1 p.m.
Bridgeview Liquor in Moorhead
Sample classic cocktails (and learn how to make your own) during this fun and informative 1-hour session. Tickets are $20. facebook.com/BridgeviewLiquor

Music, Dance Or A Show
Kwaician Traylor Concert
February 13, 5:15 p.m.
Aquarium Court at West Acres in Fargo
Singer songwriter Kwaician Traylor celebrates his new music video with a free, two-hour concert. kwaician.com

Broadway at TAK
February 13, 7:30 p.m.
TAK Music Venue in Dilworth
Wheelhouse Theatrical Productions’ Craig Ellingson, Kathy Hanson, and Angie Schulz present songs from beloved Broadway musicals. TAKMusicVenue.com

Love/Sick
February 13-15, 7:30 p.m.
Firehall Theatre in Grand Forks
The state premiere of the darkly funny “unromantic comedy” looks at the stages of love through the eyes of nine couples. Rated PG-13. ggfct.com

Valentine’s Day Party at Arthur’s Barn
February 14, 9 p.m.
Arthur's Barn in Arthur, ND
Dance Valentine’s Day away at one of the most iconic dance halls on the prairie. $10 admission, cash at the door. arthursbarn.com

Salsa Friday
February 14
Spirit Room in Fargo, 8 p.m.
Keep things sultry with salsa and bachata lessons and a rockling social dance session. Dress to impress. spiritroom.org

Little Women
February 13-14, 7:30 p.m.
Moorhead High School
This new Broadway musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic examines the lives of four very different sisters. fmct.org

Valentine’s Day Dinner Theatre: Sister Act
February 14, 7:30 p.m.
Oak Grove Lutheran School in Fargo
A $50 ticket gets you a gourmet dinner and a ticket to a consistent crowd-pleaser. Proceeds benefit the Theatre Arts program. (The show closes February 23.) OakGroveLutheran.com/category/events

Barbaro
February 14
Hotel Donaldson, 8 p.m.
Dynamic but cozy, quiet yet danceable, this quartet’s blend of bluegrass, jazz, pop, and country is a custom blend. barbaroband.com

Linebenders Valentine’s Day Comedy
February 14, 8 p.m.
Fargo Billiards and Gastropub
Try a little improv comedy for Valentine’s Day. Choose from $15 GA and $20 VIP reserved seating. Food and drinks are available in the gastropub. linebenders.com

Pampering Time
Galentine’s Day
February 13, 6:30 p.m.
Fargo Public Library
Inspired by “Parks and Recreation”(the series that spawned the mini-holiday), this event features a waffle bar, non-alcoholic mimosas, and self-care treats. fargond.gov/city-government/departments/library

Couples Gone Grotto
February 14, 7 p.m.
The Grotto in Fargo
Savor a customizable three-course meal, Champagne toast and Couples Salt Therapy Float Session valued at $130. Tickets are $100/couple. hairsuccesssalons.com

Couple’s Candlelight Yoga and Wine
February 14, 7 p.m.
Downtown Yoga Fargo
Unwind with a friend or partner. Enjoy a relaxing one-hour Yin yoga session and wine for two for $35. downtownyogafargo.com

Make Something
Junk Journals 101
February 13, 4 p.m.
Fargo Antiques and Repurposed Market
Make your own junk journal from recycled and mixed media materials. All supplies are provided for $30. Register in advance. facebook.com/fargoantiques/

Make Your Own Bath Salts
February 13, 5 p.m.
Aptitude Valentines Market near Best Buy in West Acres in Fargo
Brown Bird Handmade’s Lacey Hagensen helps you add your fave shades and scents to custom-made bath salts for $5. Facebook.com/TheArtsPartnershipFargo/

Sweetheart Grams
February 13-14, 10 a.m.
Becker County Museum in Detroit Lakes
Choose a meaningful message to stamp on necklace, bracelet or key ring for$10. Add a bead for $2 or V-Day Delivery to Detroit Lakes, Frazee, and Lake Park businesses and schools for $5. 218-234-2938

Alicia Underlee Nelson is a freelance writer and photographer. She co-hosts a podcast called “Travel Tomorrow,” available at TravelTomorrowPod.com and wherever you find your podcasts.Her first book, titled “North Dakota Beer: A Heady History,” was published in 2017. Follow her adventures at prairiestylefile.com.

Got a story you’d like Alicia to cover? Email your idea to Alicia@hpr1.com.

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Fargo Park District will host the Kids Triathlon on Wednesday, July 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Madison Park and Bicycle Playground, located at 3010 11th Avenue N.…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Filmmaker Matt Wolf, whose lovely “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” suggests he would be the perfect director to construct the definitive biographical account of the wholly…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

North Dakota play about mental health launches Midwest tour in AugustBy Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.com A new one-act play inspired by patients buried in the Old Cemetery at the Jamestown State Hospital will tour festivals in…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…