Valentine’s Day is practically here, and there’s no better place to celebrate than Pierce County. What’s not to love? There are flowers, chocolates and dinner specials, but more than that, there are also a wide variety of unique events taking place. So grab your sweetheart (or good friend) and make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one.
A Day at the Zoo
Take your sweetheart to see some oh-so-cute animals at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. Activities are scheduled on February 13 and 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., where you can watch polar bears enjoy an icy surprise (Arctic Tundra), see tigers devour delightful goodies (Asian Forest Sanctuary), watch elephants enjoy a sweet watermelon snack (Elephant Barn), and see red wolves sink their teeth into a special treat made just for them (Red Wolf Woods).
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
5400 N Pearl St
Tacoma, WA 98407
253-591-5337
Valentine’s Day 5K
Feeling like all those Valentine’s goodies are weighing you down? Lace up your jogging shoes and go for a run. Tacoma’s Valentine’s Day 5K will take place on February 13 at 9:00 a.m. The race starts at South Sound Running’s new Point Ruston store at 5109 Grand Ave. Register at any South Sound Running location or by visiting South Sound Running’s website here. The cost is $25 and $30 on the day of the race.
South Sound Running
5050 Main St.
Tacoma, WA 98407
Winter Sip and Stroll
Head to downtown Gig Harbor for a late afternoon full of local wines where you can enjoy a selection of reds, whites and bites at participating businesses on Saturday, February 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person if purchased before February 12 or $35 if purchased on the day of the event. Price includes 15 drink tokens. Purchase tickets online or call 253-514-0071 for more information.
Winter Sip and Stroll
Downtown Gig Harbor
Sweetheart Wine Walk
Looking for a romantic evening with your sweetheart? Head to Sumner on February 13 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and enjoy a lovely evening with your sweetie that you won’t soon forget during the Sweetheart Wine Walk. The $15 ticket includes six wine tastings, a wine glass, box of chocolates, and a wine walk passport. If you would like to stay the night, an overnight package is available for $170, which includes two walk wine tickets plus an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Sumner.
Sweetheart Wine Walk
Downtown Sumner
Spotlight Series ll — Valentine Chocolates with Cellist Julian Schwarz
Cellist Julian Schwarz returns to the South Sound for a very special Valentine’s Day recital with pianist Marika Bournaki at First Lutheran Church of Tacoma. Tickets for the February 14 event are $25 and can be purchased online. The music starts at 4:00 p.m.
First Lutheran Church of Tacoma
524 South I St
Tacoma, WA 98405
253-272-1538
Get Your Glass On
Enjoy the Family Day: Rock of Love on Saturday, February 13, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Museum of Glass where you will create a unique Valentine for your special someone with artist Jennifer Adams using river rocks and tissue paper. There will even be entertainment with dancers from the Morgan Family YMCA performing in the Grand Hall at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The fun continues with the museum’s Tack Fused Valentine’s Day Hearts workshop from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., where attendees can explore the art of tack fusing and create a textured glass conversation heart or multi-dimensional Valentine’s Day heart out of pre-cute glass materials. Looking for a unique Valentine’s gift? The Museum of Glass offers a wide variety of jewelry and other keepsakes your sweetheart will swoon over.
Museum of Glass
1801 Dock St.
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-284-4750
Dukesbay Productions — “The Story of My Life”
“The Story of My Life,” starring Micheal O’Hara and Frank Kohel, follows a lifelong friendship between two men, Alvin and Thomas, whose childhood bond continues throughout their adult years. The play inspires us to reconnect with those who were part of the earliest chapters of our own life stories. Show times are Saturday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
Dukesbay Productions
508 S 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-267-0869
Real Art Tacoma — The Astral Bodies
Real Art Tacoma is an all-ages music venue with the aim to create a space for young people to exist and express themselves through music and the arts. This Valentine’s Day, there will be performances by local artists like WALTER, from the Lacey area, and DJ YSL, from Bremerton, just to name a few. The show will take place on February 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Advance tickets are only $5 and can be purchased online.
Real Art Tacoma
4512 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma, WA 98409
253-882-4250
MainStage Theatre Company — “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”
Set in 1840s Missouri, the classic Mark Twain story, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” jumps off the page in this musical adaptation. Join Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher and Huckleberry Finn in a tale of thrilling escapes, comedy and inspiration. Full of toe-tapping songs and hilarious antics, this iconic journey down the Mississippi is not to be missed. Show times are Saturday, February 13 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased online.
MainStage Theatre Company
1707 W Main St
Sumner, WA 98390
253-447-7645
Paradise Theatre — “Nunsense”
Looking for an evening of fun and laughs? See “Nunsense” at the Paradise Theatre in Gig Harbor. Enjoy a night of entertainment with the “sisters,” which follows a fundraiser put on by the Little Sisters of Hoboken to raise money to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook. Tickets are $20 and can be found Paradise Theatre’s website.
Paradise Theatre
9911 Burnham Dr. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98332
253-851-7529
