Listen
5 min
Share
Comment
Save
Sure, couples get romantic dinners and thoughtful dates on Valentine’s Day. But this year, the options for singles — or, at least, options that don’t require a romantic partner — are much more exciting.
Here are the best events to celebrate the day of love — even if you dread the holiday — no matter what head space you’re in.
Best for anyone who’s dreamed of shouting ‘Wuv, twu wuv’ in a crowded theater
Return to menu
“The Princess Bride” at Arlington Drafthouse
You’ve loved “The Princess Bride” since the first time you saw it at an elementary school sleepover, but you’re no closer to finding your own Westley in a world of Humperdincks. Get your friends together and recite every line of the wedding ceremony, boo Prince Humperdinck and cheer Fezzik until everyone lives happily ever after. Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. Arlington Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington. arlingtondrafthouse.com. $12.
Best for singles who can buy themselves flowerrrrrrs
Return to menu
Bottles and Bouqs at Sonny’s Pizza
Being wined and dined and gifted flowers on Valentine’s Day is nice, but you don’t need a special (or sorta-special) someone to treat yourself. Sonny’s Pizza in Park View is hosting Bottles and Bouqs, a drop-in flower bar where guests will learn how to assemble their dream bouquet using a “mix and match” selection of blooms, while sipping natural wines and admiring one another’s handiwork. (The restaurant is known for its natural wine selection and has an attractive rear patio for post-bouquet sipping if the weather cooperates.) Tickets include all bouquet supplies and a glass of wine, and proceeds benefit the Sexual Violence Prevention Association. Feb. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. Sonny’s Pizza, 3120 Georgia Ave. NW. sonnyspizzadc.com. $55-$100.
Best for singles in need of scream therapy
Return to menu
Emo Night at Soundcheck
It’s no coincidence that so many of the greatest pop-punk hits of the 2000s and 2010s are about breakups — yelling about an ex can be truly cathartic, especially when mixed with a dash of teen angst. Missing a bad relationship? Try Blink-182’s “Time to Break Up.” Happy they’re gone? Blast Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun.” In the “anger” stage of grief? Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks fr th Mmrs” might be the cure. Whatever your situation, Soundcheck’s Valentine’s Day-edition Emo Night has plenty of nostalgic tracks to dance to that might just take your mind off it. Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. Soundcheck, 1420 K St. NW. soundcheckdc.com. $10.
Advertisem*nt
Best for romantics who’ve decided their life is a Nora Ephron movie
Return to menu
Rom-Com Trivia at Alamo Drafthouse
You mouth the dialogue to “When Harry Met Sally.” You tear up at “You had me at hello,” or when Annie Reed arrives late to the Empire State Building’s observation deck. You’ll be your group’s secret weapon at Alamo Drafthouse’s trivia night, which features five rounds of questions about couples, famous lines and rom-com tropes. Form a team with friends beforehand, or make new friends when you get there. Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. Alamo Drafthouse, 630 Rhode Island Ave. NE. drafthouse.com. Free; registration recommended.
Best for anyone who’s been through a really, really bad breakup
Return to menu
Axe Your Ex
Some breakups just don’t go well, and weeks or months later, you find yourself incandescent with fury at the mention of that person’s name. We get it. Let go of your anger at Throw Social’s Axe Your Ex party, which allows you to put your ex’s photo — or a poem they wrote you, or an old Valentine’s Day card — on a wooden bull’s-eye and hurl full-size axes at those no-longer-romantic keepsakes. Cathartic, if a little bit creepy. Once everything’s out of your system, there are half-price co*cktails, a DJ, karaoke and plenty of room to mingle. Just think twice about posting images of the ax through your ex’s photo on social media. If that person were to go missing, you might find your socials entered as evidence on “Dateline NBC.” Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. Throw Social, 1401 Okie St. NE. throwsocial.com. Free entry; games (including ax throwing) and drinks extra.
Advertisem*nt
Best for singles who’d rather stay home with their pet
Return to menu
February co*cktails at McClellan’s Retreat
Romantic love is tricky. Loving your pets is easy — and they almost certainly at least like you back. That’s why the theme for McClellan’s Retreat’s February menu is “Unconditional Like,” with co*cktails based on the personalities of the staff’s cats and dogs. There are drinks with Cocchi Americano and paprika oil, Peanut Butter Porter syrup and El Dorado rum, mezcal and génépy herbal liqueur (a concoction created for a cat with a mohawk). Pets are, alas, not allowed in the bar, but if you’re forced to leave the house, it’s a good alternative to cuddling with your cat. Through March 31. Open Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m., and Friday through Saturday, 4 to 11:30 p.m. McClellan’s Retreat, 2031 Florida Ave. NW. mcclellansretreat.com. $15-$16.
