Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! Are you ready to celebrate? This year, February’s romantic holiday will look different, but there are many ways to keep the love alive despite the pandemic. It’s time to get creative!
The Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) is eager to help you craft a romantic date night for the one you love, or to treat yourself! A celebration curated with unique accents from downtown Victoria’s local businesses will take your special occasion to the next level. There are a million ways you could create magical memories this year, but if you are looking for inspiration, start with downtown Victoria.
Why not choose a theme to help plan your special night? Since travelling is not an option, consider preparing a French-inspired indoor picnic, complete with authentic music, charcuterie, and wine. We may not be able to visit Europe right now, but we can always pretend.
Here are a few suggestions from downtown Victoria to curate the perfect evening with a French flare:
- The love is in the details. Make your night extra special with some French music! Find the soundtrack to suit your evening at Ditch Records on Fort Street.
- Look the part. Complete your outfit with a sweet beret from Roberta’s Hats on Government Street.
- Indoor picnics are très romantic. Find all you need for a delicious charcuterie board at Italian Food Imports on Blanshard Street.
- Sip on something satisfying. What is more French than wine? Pick up an authentic French red to pair with your European fare at The Strath Liquor Store on Douglas Street.
- Elegant wares to elevate your experience. Add some sophistication with classy wine glasses from The Tuscan Kitchen in The Bay Center.
- Flowers: the romantic essential. Fragrance and atmosphere are crucial considerations for a romantic evening, and fresh flowers check both boxes. Add a beautiful bouquet from Flowers on Top on Broad Street for ambience.
- Treat your tastebuds. A sweet selection of patisseries from La Roux Patisserie in Chinatown will tie up your French picnic perfectly.
Dim the lights, light candles, string fairy lights, and you can almost believe you are spending the evening in Paris – the City of Love! We will be allowed to travel again, but until then, why not keep our spirit of adventure alive at home? No matter what, if you have love – including self-love – your date night will be wonderful.
However you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, support local businesses where possible. Without the usual tourists and office workers downtown, businesses need our help to stay open and keep their staff employed. Every dollar spent locally supports our local community and economy. Please make purposeful purchasing choices so our beautiful downtown core can stay afloat until the pandemic ends. Keep in mind, if we all support Amazon now, Amazon will be the only company left.
To encourage you to support local from home, the DVBA created Downtown Delivers, a free local delivery program. Available until February 15th, enjoy free delivery from participating downtown businesses to customers living in the greater Victoria area. Find all the details at dvba.ca/downtowndelivers.
Thank you, Victoria, for spending locally! Your support means the world to downtown’s small businesses.