Portland is for Lovers - Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate love in the many forms that it comes. Whether you have a romantic partner to share the holiday with or want to spend some quality time with a friend or family member, Portland offers a nearly endless array of possibilities for outings and resources for a fantastic night in, all of which do not include spending three hours and $200 at the Beaverton Benihana (no shade to my extremely stoned hibachi chef). 

Blind Date with a Book

Think you know your partner or best friend? Set each other up! Check out a book they’d love from the library or grab one from a local bookshop, wrap it up in a Quest, and set up a time to reveal and read your selections together. You can even conveniently place your Valentine’s Day card in the cover for a sweet surprise, or you can make them a custom watercolor bookmark with paint and paper (easily purchased at the bookstore). With Paradox open, there are some great coffee selections made by Reedie baristas, and a loveseat that is perfect just for two, if you’re not sure where to go but don’t want to leave the comfort of campus. 

The Jade Rabbit

If you or your date are vegan, this restaurant would be a great pick for you. I personally don’t follow a vegetarian diet and often outright dislike meat replacements, but if you didn’t tell me that the wontons were vegan, I wouldn’t have noticed. Last call is at 8:30pm and a reservation is recommended, so it’s a great option if you want to be in bed at a reasonable hour. The rangoons are also delicious, and so is the “chicken” soup. For dessert, the ube crème brûlée is a must try.

Hollywood Theater

While I would be surprised if you haven’t heard of it, the Hollywood Theater is my favorite theater in Portland. Its historic beauty is perhaps its most well-known charm, but the delicious concession pizza and array of beers on tap right outside of the main theater is another bonus. While tickets may sell out, they tend to be very affordable. This weekend’s offerings include screenings of Harold and Maude (1971), Labyrinth (1986), and Good Luck, Don’t Die, Have Fun (2025). It’s easy to get to by bus, just plan accordingly!

Indoor Picnic

Growing up in the McKeever household, food was explicitly banned on the couch and in the greater living room area because, should we have left a sufficient spattering of crumbs in the carpet, it would attract the particular chain of critters which led to scorpions. On very special occasions, my dad would move over the coffee table, set up our dinner on a picnic blanket, and let me and my sister pick out a movie. In a similar vein, you and your sweetheart could bring the outdoors in and have a picnic, even if Portland is often dreary in the late winter/early spring season. If you don’t have a TV, you can rent a projector from the IMC instead of watching a film from your laptop, bringing a big screen feel to your dorm or apartment. You may be surprised to find which movies are available on DVD through the library, or you can even peruse Kanopy through the library website to stream films for free (I would recommend Breathless, which is currently available). As for food, you could opt for more traditional picnic picks like PB&Js, or grab some Chinese food if you’re feeling fancy. 

Karaoke Roulette

If you have a musically inclined friend or partner, that’s great, but this is way more entertaining if you know someone with zero melodic acumen and, even better, little to no shared cultural frame of reference. As suggested by the name, karaoke roulette involves playing a karaoke song and having no clue which song it is until you are presented with it. If you have ever heard someone attempt to sing “My Heart Will Go On” with only a faint memory of Titanic to assist them, you will never be able to go back to life before. A more extreme version includes not providing the lyrics and having them guess the song outright, but that may be too cruel depending on how much their ego can take. You can shuffle a love song karaoke playlist on YouTube, or use Apple Music’s karaoke feature to select music for one another. 

DIY Bouquets 

This activity is a great option if you want to celebrate Galentine’s instead of Valentine’s, or if you can sense that your date has untapped potential in the flower-arranging field. Grab an array of flowers from Trader Joe’s or Safeway and make custom bouquets! As is traditional at Reed, don’t forget to grab a few Quests to wrap them up in. Pair this activity with a chocolate tasting experience featuring whichever boxes are left in the grocery store, and maybe pick out some red ribbon to tie it up in.