Every year, families look forward to Valentine’s Day for its sweet treats, adorable aesthetic and emphasis on love. This Valentine’s Day, the Capital Region will host a multitude of delightful opportunities to make the red-white-and-pink holiday extra special for the whole family, including cocoa, concerts, crafts and more.
Love in the Air! Origami Valentine Wreath-Making
The Washington Printmakers Gallery will host a craft-making session a few days before Valentine’s Day, led by talented origami instructor Naoko Kamioka. Participants will learn how to make origami heart wreaths that they can use for cute Valentine’s Day decor. This workshop is open to all ages and skill levels, and capacity is limited to six people, so make sure to get your tickets as soon as possible.
- Location: 1675 Wisconsin Ave., Washington, DC
- Date: 2-3:30 p.m. Feb. 8
Nevermind Valentine! A Celebration of Self
If you aren’t as wild about the “couples” side of Valentine’s Day, you can still have fun thanks to this event at the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library, meant for ages 13-19. This event gives participants an opportunity to celebrate self-love by creating edgy, quirky crafts, playing games, and taking advantage of provided health resources.
- Location: 3310 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC
- Date: 6:15-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12
Valentine Creation Station
The Valentine Creation Station is the perfect opportunity for children to get creative the day before Valentine’s Day. This event is for children 12 years old and younger and will take place at Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Neighborhood Library. Kids can make cool and artistic Valentine’s Day cards for their loved ones.
- Location: 3935 Benning Road NE, Washington, DC
- Date: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Feb. 13
ORIGAMI
Another opportunity to create beautiful Valentine’s Day origami, this relaxing and artistic gathering at Reston Regional Library is specifically for adults and teens, so parents can spend some quality time with their older children. Participants can learn how to make basic origami hearts just in time for Valentine’s Day, which is the day right after this event takes place.
- Location: 11925 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, VA
- Date: 4-5 p.m. Feb. 13
A Valentine’s Day Campfire
Love can be heart-warming and timeless. This cozy hour-long fireside history lesson at Fort C.F. Smith takes visitors back to the Civil War. Families can enjoy s’mores and hot drinks as they learn about real love stories from the war, as well as how lovers stayed in touch with each other throughout the turmoil. The stories they will learn come from love letters that survived the war.
- Location: 2411 N 24th St., Arlington, VA
- Date: 1-2 p.m. Feb. 14
Unshrink My Heart
The Brentwood Art Exchange will host a special arts and crafts event meant for all ages. Families can get together and create beautiful little DIY Valentine’s Day gifts, such as Shrinky Dink hearts, jewelry and more for someone special in their lives. While the event is free to attend, participants will need to book their tickets online ahead of time to reserve their spots.
- Location: 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, MD
- Date: 1-3 p.m. Feb. 14
Love Notes
One of the best ways to celebrate love is through music. This Valentine’s Day, Capital One Hall will host Love Notes, an orchestral concert perfect for couples on a romantic date or families with kids who love music. Attendees will enjoy the romantic music of composers Ladmirault, Strauss and Tchaikovsky, performed by pianist Thomas Pandolfi and the William & Mary Symphony Orchestra.
- Location: 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, VA
- Date: 7-10 p.m. Feb. 14
Valentine’s Day Craft
The love we celebrate on Valentine’s Day can also extend to our animals. As a part of its fun and educational Long Branch Kids Program, the Long Branch Nature Center will host a short arts and crafts session where kids can prepare for Valentine’s Day by creating gifts for both their loved ones and the Nature Center’s animals. This event is for ages 6-12.
- Location: 625 S Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA
- Date: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 8
