Celebrating Valentine’s Day in NJ on a weekday might not feel exciting, but that doesn’t mean this romantic holiday has to be boring (or even celebrated on the 14th). Make this 2024 V-Day one to remember with a unique celebration—whether spending time by a firepit sipping wine and chocolate, dipping into a steaming pool during a weekend getaway, or taking a hot air balloon ride toasting with champagne. Scroll down to find romantic things you can do to make Valentine’s Day in NJ special this year. And if you’re looking to getaway be sure to check out our guide to winter getaways in New Jersey. (featured photo credit: Crystal Springs Resort)
16 ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in NJ
Cozy up in an igloo for a romantic dinner under the stars. (photo credit: @morristown.nj at @figandlilygarden)
Dine in an igloo
One of the best (and most romantic) restaurant changes still hanging on since the pandemic is the mini igloo structures at restaurants, giving you a chance to snuggle up close under the stars. Check out the igloos at Fig and Lily Garden in Morristown and Marcus at NoHu Rooftop in Weehawken for a unique and private V-Day dinner. For an apres ski feel (minus the skiing), sip bubbly and have bites in a Champagne Chalet at Crystal Springs Resort—they have everything from brunch to fondue to seafood on ice.
Take a spa daycation
Unwind and unpack stress by taking a breather at a day spa. Spend the day lounging at an outdoor steaming pool with heated tents at Sojo Spa Club in Edgewater. Or head to Montclair to experience Bangz Golden Ritual For Two, which includes a gold sugar scrub, scalp and foot massage, and Swedish massage. If you want beach views, head to Long Branch to The Spa at Ocean Place with a couple’s massage. And if you can’t do it for Valentine’s Day, plan to visit one of these 9 relaxing NJ spas in the coming months.
Create a sweet memento
You know the saying—the couple that creates together stays together, so why not make a keepsake you’ll treasure for years to come? Re-enact your best Ghost scene at The Clay Pot’s Valentine’s Day Event in Spotswood, where you’ll each get a chance at the pottery wheel to create a special piece of pottery. Or head to AR Workshop in Turnersville, Westfield, Moorestown, or West Windsor for a lovely Valentine’s Day wood sign, board, or pillow. Or paint a romantic scene during a River to My Heart Date Night at Pinots’ Palette in Cherry Hill.
Partner up for yoga and relaxation together. (photo credit: istock/davidf)
Practice your couple poses
Whether you regularly practice or have always wanted to try it, a couples yoga class is a great way to mark the occasion. Try Partner Yoga + Hot Chocolate Bar at Forged Soul Fitness & Yoga in Hammonton with a no-skills yoga sesh, followed by a delish hot cocoa bar. Or take a Reset and Refresh Retreat Day to rejuvenate at Pure Toms River Yoga for some self-love. If you want to combine yoga with deep relaxation, try the Peace, Love, and Chocolate: A Restorative & Aromatherapy Workshop at Indigo Yoga in Caldwell.
Gather for a getaway
If you can swing childcare coverage, escape to a quick getaway in the tri-state area. Find romance in Cape May at the luxury adults-only boutique hotel Virginia, get whisked away to a Victorian Castle in the Catskills at Mohonk Mountain House, or spend the day in a steamy outdoor pool at the Crystal Springs Resort. Want more ideas on where to go in under two hours? Check out our luxe hotels guide for PA, NJ, and NY hotels, and start planning now.
Get up and away from it all
Few things are more romantic than a hot air balloon ride—you’re floating high in the air in a basket with your loved one while enjoying the beautiful sights below. Reserve a private Dinner Flight for the two of you through In Flight Balloon Adventures, where you’ll soar high above the skies in a one-hour ride and then celebrate with an elegant dinner at the nearby restaurant.
Dance like no one is watching
Learning a few new dance steps is a perfect way to mark this V-Day. Sign up for a private lesson and practice your moves with classic dances like ballroom, swing, waltz, or tango, virtually or in person. Learn new ways to swing at Starlight Dance Center in Nutley, Dance With Me in Fort Lee and Glen Rock, or Simply Social Dancing in Hackensack. Or check out Ballroom Dream in South River or Dance A Lot Ballroom Studio in Fair Lawn for online classes that let you learn from the comfort of your living room (and don’t need to hire a sitter).
Volunteer together
Why not set aside some time on Valentine’s Day in NJ to give back to your community? Help build homes with Gloucester County’s Habitat for Humanity, create displays and sort donations for a thrift shop through Hightstown’s Caring Closet, or sort and organize emergency boxes for Marketplace in Hillside. If you want to get out in nature, try a cleanup at Essex County’s Branch Brook Park.
Cozy around the firepit at Renault Winery during their Valentine’s Day Dinner. Photo Credit: Renault Winery
Explore wineries and breweries with a twist of chocolate
Take a trip to wine country in the Garden State, try a new brewery, and make it a cozy night, sipping your fave libation around a fire pit. Visit Vintner Wonderland at Renault and enjoy skating, sipping wine, and delicious charcuterie by a blazing firepit with your S.O. For something decadent, head to Tomasello Winery’s Wine and Truffle Pairing and Valentine’s Dinner Dance on February 10.
Indulge in chocolate
Instead of giving each other the usual box of chocolates, sample the sweet stuff at this annual Chocolate Walk sponsored by Mullica Hill’s Historic District on February 10. After you check in and get your passports, walk through town and stop at the shops offering sales—and a sweet treat. Or snuggle up with your sweetie for this Wine and Chocolate Weekend from Terhune Orchards, where you can enjoy 16 varieties of wines with chocolate pairings of locally made chocolates. And if you want to give the gift of chocolate, NJ is home to a bunch of charming chocolate shops where you can pick up heart-shaped candies for your sweetie.
Cook together with a chef
Even if your S.O. doesn’t know a whisk from a whip, it can still be fun to cook together with a DIY kit or in-person class. Tony Boloney offers kits with all the ingredients to make beloved Italian comfort foods like meatballs, mutz (mozzarella), and pizza, along with virtual class links to follow along. Hudson Table in Hoboken offers hands-on cooking classes to make pasta or specialty foods and full dinner menus. Or head down the turnpike to Taste & Technique Cooking Studio in Fair Haven, where they offer a Couples: My Italian Valentine class full of showstopper treats.
Bring out your inner artist
If you’ve never done a sip and paint class together, why not try it this Valentine’s Day in NJ? Pinot’s Palette will whisk you away on a canvas romantic getaway (East Brunswick location); you can find Romance On The Beach Date Night in Brick or paint a romantic scene in Cherry Hill. Or create a heart painting at the Roxbury Public Library’s Paint and Sip. After, hang your masterpieces side by side.
Gliding arm in arm, ice skating is a fun (and romantic) way to spend Valentine’s Day in NJ (photo credit: istock/Maksim Zilberman)
Glide into romance
Wintery weather, an outdoor ice rink, and cozying up to stay warm—you can’t go wrong with taking a spin around the ice rink together for a classic winter activity. Whether it’s skating beneath the twinkling lights at Palmer Square in Princeton, getting into an ice bumper car while floating around the rink at Bergen County Winter Wonderland in Paramus, or sliding to tunes at the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, get on those skates and glide into an exhilarating day or night date.
Rock or laugh the night away
Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to take in a show. Cozy up with your loved one and listen to Dionne Warwick at the Mayo Performing Arts Center. Or laugh it up with Valentine’s All-Star Comedy Show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. After the show, enjoy dinner for two at a nearby restaurant.
Have a tubular-time
Snow tubing is an exhilarating activity with your loved one (shh, don’t tell the kids), where you can slide down on comfy inner tubes and warm up in the lodge with a hot toddy afterward. Campgaw in Mahwah has day and night snow tubing sessions, or head to Mountain Creek in Vernon, where you can sip a cocktail by the fire, après-tubing.
Ski or snowboard after dark
Zooming down a snowy mountain on skis or a snowboard is one experience, but have you ever tried going downhill once the sun goes down? It’s even more exhilarating and romantic. Try twilight skiing at Big Boulder in White Haven, PA., Or whiz down the mountain and stop at Midland at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA, to hang by one of the firepits with a cup of steaming hot cocoa to warm up. And if skiing past 5 PM isn’t your thing, find one of the ski resorts in or near NJ, where you can go for a day on the slopes.
Become an NJMOM Insider! For all the best things to do with your family around New Jersey, sign up for our weekly newsletter delivered right to your inbox each week, and don’t forget to tag your photos #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured on our social media.
