Seeking: non-lame Valentine's Day plans
+ pop-ups and art exhibits
Happy first day of February!
Before we dive into this week’s topic, I want to note that I’m not usually a huge fan of holidays that have been co-opted by consumerism. BUT! I love celebrations and reasons to do things (especially when we’re in what I consider to be the toughest part of the year), so I like to borrow from the spirit of the day and use it as a springboard and excuse to do something new.
However you feel about this holiday, any of these ideas can be used to inspire a date night with yourself, a partner, or a friend. And I’ve got some gems + weekend events at the end if you’d prefer to skip on down to that.
*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!
If you want to do something unique…
Fyre Sauna | Woodinville | $30 | There’s something about being in extreme temperatures that just makes you feel closer to someone, you know? I recommend checking out the Fyre Sauna pop-up at Woodinville Lavender any time (they’ll be there through March), but they still have several time slots on 2/14 that would make for a fun bonding experience. We went at 4pm to catch the sunset and were greeted by the very kind and knowledgeable owner Jason, who helped guide our experience and had many sauna/cold plunge facts to share while we went between the two extremes (he also built the sauna himself!). You can wear a swimsuit or athletic gear (there’s a changing room on-site), towels and electrolyte powders were provided, and there were about 5 other people there who we chatted with throughout (easy to make small talk when you’re commiserating). I felt euphoric after the first plunge and slept like a baby that night — just like Jason promised I would.
Find more sauna and day spa recs in my SAD guide:
Rage Industry | Lake City | $38 for 1, $75 for 2, $150 for 4 | If you’ve been wronged this V-day, take it out on some inanimate objects in a rage room. I haven’t been yet myself, but I’ve heard good things from my sister. Protective materials are provided, you can play music, and you can add on a toilet to destroy for $30.
If you want to go to an event…
The Atomic Bombshells: J’Adore | Downtown | $35-50 | This would be such a fun Galentine’s plan! I’ve been so impressed with every burlesque show I’ve seen at the Triple Door
NW Flower & Garden Festival | Downtown | $14 for a half-day ticket | The selling point of this event is the massive 20+ display gardens that the “garden creators” put together in under 72 hours. Would be good for those dreaming of spring
Comedy of Love: A Valentine’s Day Improv | Downtown | $25 | These shows are actually a hoot and it’s always fun to be in the market after dark. I recommend pairing with a drink at Zig Zag Cafe or dinner at Cafe Campagne
Valentine’s Day Comedy Show | Belltown | $18 | The Here-After is a great space to see comedy, it’s very intimate and there’s a funky bar outside where you can grab a drink before you go in
Swift Me Away - Taylor Swift Dance Night | Fremont | $15 | Another great Galentine’s plan, my friend Ben puts on these themed dance parties that are always a good time. This one is hosted at Nectar, a favorite dancing spot of mine
After Hours: Valentine’s Day at the Aquarium | Downtown | $36.95 | A good excuse to check out the aquarium, the evening will also include live music and you can purchase food + drinks
PacSci Valentine’s Day Taproom | Uptown | $30 | Wander around PacSci after hours with 6 tasting tokens for local beers. They’ll also have a themed laser show called Laser Love Me, Laser Love Me Not (lol)
Opera On Tap | Uptown | Free | Opera in a bar! This is hosted at Solo which is a cute little bar with pretty affordable drinks and decent food
Not on V-day, but related:
Heartsongs: Justin Huertas & Kiki deLohr | 2/13 | Belltown | $20
Fun + Flirty Valentine’s Day Comedy Show + Party | 2/15 | Capitol Hill | $20-50
From Ella to Amy with LOVE! at Stoneburner | 2/15 | Ballard | $35-69
Mating & Dating at the Woodland Park Zoo | 2/22 | Phinney Ridge | $42
If you want to get dinner + drinks…
Zig Zag Cafe | Downtown | This is such a sexy little bar! Hidden in the market and drenched in red light, Zig Zag specializes in cocktails, but the food is excellent as well (get the squash + burrata). Even though it’s a romantic spot, sitting at the bar would be perfect for a solo date night
(unlisted) Speakeasy | Uptown | A few months ago this speakeasy opened up in The Ruins, a private supper club turned event venue that hasn’t been accessible to the public… until now. You can read more about it here, but this would be a fun date night adventure
Ricardo's Club 19 | Uptown | $50 for 2 | Every year, Dick’s transforms into a “fine-dining destination” with live music, exquisite service, and a bunch of goodies. It sells out quickly, so hop on it or bookmark it for next year!
If you want to save money…
My recent issue on NA activities for Dry January has many low-cost and free ideas that would make for excellent dates:
💎 Local gems
Hey Bagel | Various Locations
It’s official, Seattle has a new reigning bagel spot! When I read
’s review of Hey Bagel last month, I knew I had to be on the lookout for the next pop-up. Lucky for me, I stumbled across it at Hoste this past weekend when I was there for a different pop-up (more on that below).The best thing about pop-ups is that you usually get to meet the people behind them! In this case, I got to meet the single person behind Hey Bagel, Andrew Rubinstein (also the namesake of Rubinstein Bagels), and chat about the local bagel scene before scooping up half a dozen bagels and a bialy. Reader, they were amazing. If you want to know what exactly makes this such a great bagel (crunch! strong seed hand! textured bite!), I highly recommend reading the in-depth review over at
and then trying them out yourself at the next pop-up.
Current Coffee | West Seattle
After I hit the Hey Bagel pop-up, I walked down the street to check out Current Coffee. It’s a small coffee shop with a lofted seating area that would be great for coworking (if you can secure a spot!). I was enticed by The Trilogy, which was described as an espresso, a cortado, and a drip coffee, for $6. I thought they would be little tasters, but they were full-blown drinks! This meant that the peaceful journaling I had envisioned was more of a frenzied scribbling as I became more and more caffeinated, but they were delicious and I’d get a (single) drink here any time.
👀 On my radar
FXRY | Various Locations
This was the pop-up I originally went to Hoste for! Described as “clothing alterations & repairs at your fingertips,” this new biz intends to make it way easier for you to get your clothes altered. I’m not sure what their set-up is going to look like in the future, but it sounds like their goal is to partner with local businesses where you can drop-off/pick-up your clothes. I brought them a pair of vintage jeans (that I bought at Hoste!) to have the waist taken in and a wool coat from my grandma with some aggressive shoulder pads that needed to be removed. I’ll be picking up my items this weekend, so I’ll report back on how they turned out!
Have You Eaten + From The Margins | Pioneer Square + Uptown
My friend Judy Lee is involved in two powerful exhibits happening this month: she is an artist and facilitator for Have You Eaten, an exhibit of 30+ artists hosted at Nino Studio that explores the rich and complex experiences of Asian diaspora communities, and the curator of From The Margins, an exhibit at The Fishbowl featuring the work of 18 artists on the theme of marginalization. I’m so proud of Judy and can’t wait to see what she’s put together at the opening reception (5-8 pm) this Friday!
📆 This weekend’s events
Secret Cinema | Thursday, 2/1 | Columbia City | Free
Pioneer Square First Thursday Art Walk | Thursday, 2/1 | Pioneer Square | Free
A Conversation with Sohla El‑Waylly | Thursday, 2/1 | Downtown | $10-110
Aqui Mercado | Friday, 2/2 | Pioneer Square | Free
Nora En Pure | Friday, 2/2 | SODO | $35-50
Mighty-O Donuts 21st Birthday Party | Friday, 2/2 | Green Lake | Free
Sound Waves at Six Seven Restaurant | Friday, 2/2 | Downtown | $25
Banned & Beloved | Saturday, 2/3 | Green Lake | $34-64
Cold War Kids - 20 Years Tour | Saturday, 2/3 | Belltown | $39.50
Lunar New Year Fair | Saturday, 2/3 | CID | Free
Lunar New Year Family Festival | Saturday, 2/3 | Capitol Hill | Free
Halo-Halo Cabaret | Saturday, 2/3 | Belltown | $30-35
Multi-day:
Swan Lake | 2/1 - 2/4 | Uptown | $54-220 (catch the dress rehearsal on 2/1 for just $25)
Funk OFF!: Oly Funk Fest | 2/2 - 2/4 | Olympia | $129
Têt in Seattle | 2/3 - 2/4 | Uptown | Free
What’s next:
2/10 | If you feel like getting wild, The Crocodile will be hosting Brazilian Carnaval/Mardi Gras this year
2/16 | Feist is coming to town with a new album to share
2/22 - 2/25 | Another excuse to check out NWFF: they’ll be hosting the Seattle Asian American Film Festival
2/24 | Bundle up - the Alki Beach Winter Food Truck & Beer Festival will be taking place for the 4th year in a row
🚨 ICYMI
Harry’s Fine Foods is expanding to Melrose Market with a new restaurant and nightclub (!). Pinoyshki is now open on Capitol Hill. While Musang is closed for repairs, Wildcat (usually a private event space) has opened for service just two doors down. Beth’s Cafe has new owners and new late-night hours. A trio of industry veterans will open Human People Beer this summer in the West Canal Yards project.
🧰️ Seattle Toolkit
A few of my favorite resources to stay tuned in to what’s happening around the city:
What Do - Seattle’s aggregated event list
Everout - Events & things to do
SEAToday - Daily Seattle newsletter
The Nudge Seattle - Text-based event planner
The Intentionalist - Discover + support local small businesses
Your turn!
What are you seeking this week? What do you already have planned? Share it with us in the comments ⬇️
These ideas look like so much fun that it makes me want to take an impromptu trip to Seattle to see some of my girlfriends!