With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, don’t scramble to find plans to celebrate and spend time with your partner. The cold weather can make it especially difficult to find an activity to celebrate the holiday, but below are some ideas to get you started.

Restaurants 

Located on 219 Washington St. in Downtown Binghamton, The Shop is a cute, hipster-style burger joint with large portions and consistently yummy food. The dim lighting and cute decorations set the mood for a romantic and fun evening.

Pho Nomenal, a Vietnamese restaurant, creates a lively and cheerful atmosphere with its open design and beautiful decorations. Stop by for some wonton soup or pho for a tasty lunch date. The restaurant is located at 20 Hawley St. and is easily accessible from campus by bus.

8-Bit Bites combines food and fun with an ’80s- and ’90s-themed decor and fried halal food, with video games that diners can play while eating. Located on 268 Main St. in Johnson City, this is the perfect choice if you want a more lively meal and atmosphere.

Ice skating 

If you choose to embrace rather than run away from the winter season, you can practice ice skating with your loved one. Although the ponds on campus aren’t safe to skate on, you can go to the indoor ice rink at SUNY Broome Community College. Fun for all skill levels, those more experienced can have fun skating side by side, and beginners can enjoy learning together and laughing over clumsy mistakes.

Crafting 

If you don’t want to leave your cozy living room, crafting is a fun and relaxing activity. You can make little figurines out of clay, paint on canvases or rocks, make bracelets or knit, all of which provide ample opportunities for conversation and can be done while watching TV or listening to music.

Movies

Another cute indoor date is cozying up on the couch and watching a nice romantic movie like “The Princess Bride,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”

Bar-hopping

To those more prone to nightlife, bar-hopping provides a perfect opportunity to spend time together while also having fun and going out. Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, there should be ample nightlife downtown. Some suggestions for bars to go to are Tom and Marty’s Town House, The Rathskeller Pub and Black Sheep Tavern.

Cooking and baking

An alternative to a restaurant date is to go shopping for ingredients and cook a meal and or dessert together. Cooking and baking can be a connecting activity and can lead to an inexpensive and delicious meal. Everyone’s skill level is different, so this activity can vary from an intricate recipe to box-made desserts. Some ideas for meals to make include heart-shaped pizzas, spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, or chicken parmesan. For those who prefer baking, classic chocolate chip cookies never fail, as well as brownies, red velvet cupcakes or chocolate-covered strawberries.