Change things up a bit this Valentine’s day and take yourself, your date, or your friends to somewhere new and unexpected! If you’re looking for something that's different from the usual restaurant routine, Toronto has got plenty. There are a ton of things happening around the city this Valentine’s weekend that promise to have a little something for everyone.

The Casual Occasion  

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Toronto Lights Festival

The Toronto Light Festival offers a visual journey and a playful adventure throughout the walking streets of the Distillery District. During the cold, dark days of winter, The Toronto Light Festival gives visitors a reason to bundle up, get outside and celebrate the season, creativity and life in the big city. The festival, now in its 4^th year, exhibits local and international light artists. Artworks are curated to educate, warm hearts, inspire and put a smile on visitors faces. This event is free to attend and runs until the 1^st of March!

Snowflakes & Starlight

Take your date and enjoy fireworks at the Family Day Weekend event organised by the town of Whitchurch-Stouffville. There will be ice sculptures, stilt walking, food, and a spectacular fireworks display! This free event will take place on Saturday February 15^th from 6 to 8 pm at Memorial Park in Stouffville!

Toronto Animation Arts Festival International

Come in from the cold and toast your body and mind to the warm glow of cartoons! Toronto’s animation festival brings you eye-popping shorts and features from around the world. Tickets are $12 each for this event taking place from February 14^th to 16^th at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema.

Mac and Cheese Festival

Recently featured on the Food Network, the festival and its food imaginers continue to push the boundaries of creativity to deliver delicious food experiences. There are between 40 to 50 variations of mac and cheese amongst the vendors along with plenty of wine, cocktails, margaritas and craft beer! Love mac and cheese? Get to Small Arms Inspection building in Mississauga from February 14^th to the 16^th. Tickets $6 - $20.

Valentine’s Day Comedy Shows

Best Damn Stand-Up Comedy Show: Valentine’s Day Edition

Comedy Nuggets presents the Best Damn Stand-Up Comedy Show for an amazing night of laughs! Every month Luke Lynndale assembles an amazing lineup by inviting three headliners. The show is always hilarious, thought provoking, and silly. On February 14^th, Comedy Nuggets presents a special edition of Best Damn Stand-Up Comedy Show for Valentine's day. Join the fun at 8 pm at The Social Capital Theatre on the second floor.

Love Buds A Valentine’s Day Cannabis Comedy Show

Come down to Love Buds: A Valentine’s Day Cannabis Comedy Show and enjoy a night of food, drinks and laughs with that special someone – or your best buds! Presented by the Cannabis Comedy Festival at the LIThuanian House. Featuring some of Toronto’s top comics and headlined by Nick Reynoldson. Dinner and show tickets are also available at this 19+ event. The event takes place at 1573 Bloor St W from 8 – 10 pm, tickets start at $15!

Paint Nite: A Valentine Stroll 

Join Paint Nite with Toronto's very first artist owned - artist run team as they get creative in the heart of the city. Drink. Paint. Connect. Looking for something novel to do with friends to create new memories and share a few laughs over a cocktail or two at your local bistro? Their professional artist will guide you, step-by-step, from a blank canvas to a final unique masterpiece in about two hours. No matter whether you bring your friends or come by yourself, you can bet that you will meet plenty of other fun-seeking people from all over the city! Tickets are $40 for this event taking place at The Rhino on Queen St. W from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

GeekFest

Join the 5th Annual GeekFest in Toronto – a one-day marathon of films, docs and talks on things geeks love. And, maybe, a chance to meet (and fall for) a fellow geek. Interactive crafts, prizes, giveaways and Valentine-themed snacks are included! The event takes place at Chez BonBon from 5:30 to 11 pm with tickets ranging from $12 to $22. 

The Semi-Formal Fling

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Anti-Valentine’s Day Singles Party:

Do you have that love hate relationship when it comes to Valentine's day? If so, join Single in the City on Friday, February 14^th to not celebrate this year! This is a party you won’t want to miss. Tired of the cheesy over-rated Valentine’s day expectations? Single in the City is throwing a party you can relate to! Singles will get together to mix and mingle and celebrate an Anti-Valentine’s Day Singles Party. The evening includes a special interactive mixer to get the party started, appetizers, a cash bar, prize giveaways and a local DJ spinning a great mix of music. This 25 and over event takes place on Friday the 14^th from 9 pm until 1 am at the Duke of Somerset. Tickets are $20 each!

Valentine’s Day Murder Mystery 

Spend Valentine’s Day evening with some of the most successful master sleuths of all time at the stylish Chelsea Hotel, for a grand birthday celebration for Toronto’s most successful theatre magnate, Ambrose Tall. join the fun and see if you can help Toronto Constabulary’s Detective Merdoch piece together the clues and evidence and solve a murder case. The action begins when you notice some colourful characters enter the room. Then, someone you’ve just met dies... or a body is discovered. A detective leads the investigation.  The suspects are spread throughout the room, sitting right at the tables with you. So, you get to participate and see if you can solve the whodunit?! The Friday event takes place from 6:30 to 9:45 pm, and tickets range from $123 to $128.

Valentine’s Day Tour at BSM

Impress your “Sole Mate” with an unforgettable evening at the Bata Shoe Museum. Join the BSM for a Valentine’s Day inspired tour filled with love, laughter and many Instagrammable moments. The event takes place from 7 to 8 pm with tickets at $14 per person at the Bloor St W location.

TTYL Valentine!

Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque Presents: TTYL Valentine – Love Is in the AI. Are you a robot? The year is 2069 and the world is a future retro nightmare. Looks can be deceiving and intimacy is dead but don’t worry, there’s an app for that! Don’t have a Valentine for this most fake of occasions? Don’t worry, Skin Tight Outta Sight will make one for you, and they promise to self-destruct before they develop feelings! The event will be held on the 15^th of February from 7 to 10 pm at Revival Bar! Tickets start at $25.

Cheese Cave Event

On February 15^th, join TOCA Bistro at the Ritz Carlton for a special Valentine's day cheese & wine event. Explore their giant cave filled with cheese complete with samples and paired wines. The event is $100 per person and starts at 3 pm at their Wellington St. W location!

The Dinner Date 

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Asialicious

Asialicious is a food festival celebrating the best of GTA-area Asian and Asian-run restaurants. Beginning February 14^th, the two-week-long festival will allow participating restaurants to promote their best dishes to the public. One Dish, One Story. More than 100 Asian restaurants and daily tasting events, there’s so much for your taste buds to explore. Are you ready to discover something new? This event takes place at various restaurants in Toronto from February 14^th to 28^th.

Liberty Commons Beer Dinner

This year celebrate Valentine’s day with an evening of brews and bites! Kick off the night with a welcome beer cocktail before diving into a delicious five-course dinner paired with Big Rock Brewery and Nickel Brook Brewing Co. beers. As you sip and savour each course, brewmaster Ben Griffiths from Nickel Brook Brewing Co., will guide you through the nitty gritty of each pairing. Whether you’re already in a committed relationship with beer, or you’ve just been flirting with the idea of one, this dinner is a great way to say, ‘Hoppy Valentine’s Day!’ to your significant other. This V-day event will take place on the 14th from 6:30 to 9:30 at Liberty Commons from $69 per person.

Valentine’s Day Celebrations at JaBistro

This Valentine’s Day, JaBistro’s chefs have thoughtfully prepared two exquisite features just for you and your loved one. Elevate your traditional rose bouquet with their sashimi bouquet feature. It is artfully designed with six blooming sashimi roses using the freshest seafood. This pairs wonderfully with their regular menu of sushi and entrées, cocktails, and sake list for a delicious lunch or dinner date. End your dinner or lunch on a sweet note with their matcha tiramisu, a light and lovely Japanese twist on the traditional Italian dessert. With layers of sweet cream and premium matcha, it’s perfect for sharing! Visit JaBistro on Richmond St W from February 14^th to 16^th to try out these dishes!

A MARBL Valentine’s Day 

With a beautiful interior, extensive wine list and delectable $95 prixe fixe menu of modern American dishes by Chef Ryan Morrison, MARBL is sure to impress any date. Enjoy a complimentary glass of Veuve Clicquot, and if you’re up to keeping the night going, enjoy classy cocktails crafted by MARBL’s skilled bartenders. From February 13^th to 14^th, visit their King St W location to enjoy this special V-day event! 

Love Inn Prix Fixe Dinner

This February 14^th, the Gladstone Hotel is giving guests three great ways to celebrate Cupid's special day: Whether you're looking to go out on the town with your besties, stay in with your special someone, or have a delicious dinner with your family, you'll find loads of options at this hotel. For their untypical $95 V-day prix fixe, at 7 pm, the Gladstone invites you to enjoy a four-course dinner, a complimentary glass of sparkling and live music. Bring whoever you love and celebrate in an inclusive space with a delicious locally inspired menu created by their executive Chef Akshay. Come early and explore four floors of art, including their Love (Actually) Photography Exhibition in the Art Bar, as well by Handle with Care by Wedge Curatorial on their second floor.

The Relaxed Rendezvous

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Valentine’s Day Food & Chocolate Tour

Are you bored of restaurants and boxed chocolates every Valentine’s day? Start the new decade off right and sweep your Valentine off on a one-of-a-kind food and chocolate tour in Kensington Market. Take a trip around the world in one lunch as you savour a range of delicacies from around the world, ranging from Canadian treats to Chinese eats to chocolaty sweets. Make this a Valentine’s day to remember! This tour runs from the 14^th to the 15^th of February at Crimson Teas. Tickets are $59 each!

Chocolate Workshop

Love comes in all kinds of forms and chocolate is definitely one of them. Show that special someone just how much they mean to you during this Valentine’s day inspired workshop. Love is in the air at Chocolate Tales. This workshop includes a history of Valentine’s day, chocolate heart shaped-moulding demonstrations, chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate raspberry truffles and loads of elegant packaging. This course takes place at Kitchen24 in North York for $92.66 per person on February 14^th at 7 pm.

Escape Room Date Night 

Book an escape room for 2! Use code ‘valentine2020’ to save $10 off of Looking Glass Adventure’s 2-person package price and receive a free exit take home escape game. Unlock the key to your heart and the door out of the escape room this Friday February 14^th at their Danforth location.

Cook a Meal Together

Join Kitchen24 for this Valentine's Weekend cooking class, where guests will experience making their own pasta and discovering the wonders of bringing ingredients together. Guests will be treated with a prosecco and strawberry aperitif; view a short tutorial on making meatballs; and close the session with a light spaghetti and meatball lunch, prepared by the Chef. The event will take place at their Marmora St. location on February 15^th at 11 am for $60 a person

Terra Lumina 

Terra Lumina is the 11^th unique experience created in Moment Factory’s Lumina night walk series. After nightfall at the Toronto Zoo this winter, you are invited to pursue an immersive experience along a 1.5 km walking path that travels into the future and back. Your journey begins when a portal carries you into the luminescent wonders of the year 2099, a time when humans and nature have learned to live in harmony. Let yourself be transported by vibrant lighting, multimedia effects, breathtaking video projections and an original score to an enchanted world filled with possibility. And explore this bright and hopeful future to reveal the powerful secrets of tomorrow. This event at the Toronto zoo takes place from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on Valentine’s day weekend. Tickets range from $24.99 to $29.99.

Yummi Scented Candle Workshop

At $75 a ticket, Yummi Candles is pleased to offer you their all new scented candle making workshop on February 14^th. Be inspired in their historic Distillery District candle studio location, surrounded by hundreds of candles and home fragrance products. The classes will take you on an olfactory adventure across the top, middle, and base notes from their premium candle fragrances and allow you to discover what it takes to become an astute Chandler. Plus, patrons of legal drinking age can choose to enjoy a glass of red, white or sparkling wine at their scented candle making workshops! Yummi Candles is working closely with Ashley Martin from Le Cru To bring you a carefully curated selection of wines which will rotate seasonally.

The Diversity of Love

Love knows no boundaries and in the natural world, relationships come in all forms. Join Toronto Zoo for a charming evening of food and fun as we learn about the diversity of companionship as observed in the animal kingdom. This Valentine's programme includes a romantically inspired dinner, special animal encounters, interactive group presentation, and a tour of their Reproductive Labs led by their Reproductive Specialist Team! Tickets start at $88.50 for zoo members and $97.35 for non-members. This 19+ event goes from 6:30 to 9 pm on February 13^th, 14^th and 15^th!

“Ghost” Pottery Date

Have a sensual, playful, and bonding experience while having fun making pottery together with your loved one! The instructor will teach you step-by-step guidance for learning pottery wheel techniques. You two will be using the same wheel and make pottery including cups, bowls, vases and plates etc.  Join the great date night at LucSculpture. Their studio is conveniently located near Greenwood subway station in Toronto, where tickets start at $180. To keep the intimacy, the Date Night is limited to five couples.

Ontario Place Winter Lights Exhibition

Come explore the 3rd annual Winter Light Exhibition on the West Island. Utilizing creativity, innovation, light and discovery, Ontario creators from all artistic streams will showcase their exhibits following the curatorial theme of “Cocoon”. Admission is free and Fridays through Sundays, they’ll also be hosting community bonfires, paint classes and opening their snack shops with a variety of food and beverage options. The event runs until March 29^th every day from 4 to 11 pm!

The Elegant Excursion

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Valentine’s Day Salsa Lesson

Join in on an evening salsa lesson this Valentine's day at Evergreen Brick Works! This beginner lesson is led by one of the city’s best teachers and performers. Singles, couples and families are welcome! Cuban salsa is one of the most popular social dances today. Romantic and joyful, Cuban salsa focuses on rhythm, musicality and is fun for the whole family. The event will be held on the 14^th from 7 until 8:30 pm for $10 a ticket or PWYC. No registration is required!

Valentine’s Dinner & Ball

Get out of the house this Valentine’s day and join the Guild Inn Estate for a fun night of delicious food, drinks and dance. The night consists of cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres shortly followed by a 4-course dinner with a premium bar (within reasonable drinking limits). Dance the rest of the night away to V-day classics and top 40s. Perfect for couples and singles – who knows who you’ll meet! Tickets start at $62.95 for this 6:30 pm event.

Valentine’s Day Celebrations at Ripley’s

There are plenty of fish in the sea but only the right one is worth sharing a pond with. This Valentine’s Day bring a date, or swim solo to Deep Sea Soirée, a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s event at the Aquarium. Enjoy food stations, cash bars, live music by The Digs and DJ Kyrei, plus truly unforgettable views. The event will take place this Friday from 8 pm until 12 am for $60 a ticket!

Rachmaninoff & Scheherazade Concert

Valentine’s weekend at the TSO features works by romantic Russian composers: esteemed artist Stephen Hough plays Rachmaninoff’s rapturous Second Piano Concerto and Elim Chan leads the Orchestra in Rimsky-Korsakov’s bewitching Scheherazade. The concert runs from February 14^th to 16^th at Roy Thomson Hall, showtimes vary.

Romeo and Juliet Live Theatre

The internationally acclaimed National Ballet Theatre of Odessa, Ukraine returns to BPAC with a timeless tale of tragic love. Romeo and Juliet is brought to life through heartbreaking and astonishingly beautiful choreography. Join in at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Valentine’s day and have the world’s most famous star-crossed lovers dance their way into your hearts. This full-scale production, set to the music of Sergey Prokofiev and based on the William Shakespeare classic, features 55 of Europe’s brightest ballet stars. The ballet will be held on February 14^th at 8 pm, tickets start at $35.

The ROM After Dark: Desire

Expect the unexpected at ROM After Dark, an exciting new after-hours event where art, culture, and nature collide to offer a curated evening of music, visual arts, immersive experiences and distinctive food and drink. You won’t want to miss this! Head to the Royal Ontario Museum on Friday, February 14^th from 7 to 11:30 pm. Tickets range from $24 to $30.

The Winter Garden Theatre

A three-hour show with legendary songs by the world renown artist George Dalaras, with the Cretan virtuoso and vocalist Michalis Tzouganakis, the beautiful voice of Aspasia Stratigou, and the participation of virtuoso and vocalist Alexandros Tzouganakis, who follows the steps of his father Michalis. This original and authentic performance, enriched with love and yearning, closes the distance between musician and audience in a breathtaking performance. From $77.55 per ticket you can see this performance live at the Winter Garden Theatre on February 14th at 8 pm.

Good luck deciding on just one event to hit this Valentine’s day. Much love to you and yours, from the Heel Boy team.