10 Winter Date Night Ideas in the Petoskey Area

Date nights are a must in every season, but sometimes they feel especially necessary during the winter months. For some of us, the first part of a new year can feel heavy with its cold weather, short days, and post-holiday hangover, so what better way to brighten the season than with fun date nights!

What follows are some unique date-night suggestions based on the categories of laid back, active, and adventurous. Read on and get inspired for your next evening or day out on the town!

 

Laid Back Options for a Chill Date

1. Malted Vinyl in Downtown Petoskey

Do you enjoy creative beverages, cozy settings, and good tunes? If yes, stop by Malted Vinyl in downtown Petoskey to experience an audiophile’s dream. Petoskey’s first listening lounge, Malted Vinyl, features Hi-Fi cocktails, craft beers, lite bites, and great music—an ideal spot to listen, chat, and sip on delicious drinks for a first date or your hundredth!

Malted Vinyl also offers two fun themed nights each week: Bring Your Own Vinyl (BYOV) on Wednesday evenings and Music Trivia on Thursdays at 7PM, highlighting everything from classics to deep cuts. Test your music knowledge—you don’t have to be a musical genius to participate—and enjoy a cocktail or a mocktail from the seasonal menu while lounging at the lounge. It’s an easy, fun date night outing! Just make sure you don’t show up on Mondays or Tuesdays; Malted Vinyl is open Wednesday through Sunday this winter.

2. Visit a small-town movie theater in Downtown Harbor Springs

Another laid-back date night is a visit to The Lyric Theatre in downtown Harbor Springs; it’s an especially great choice if you and your significant other are cinephiles who love warm buttered popcorn. Completely volunteer-operated, The Lyric is a nonprofit movie theater that presents first-run, classic, and family-favorite films in its three theaters, seating 200, 40, and 23, respectively.

It’s always advisable to purchase tickets in advance online and to arrive early so you have time to get snacks and beverages—fountain drinks, water, or even alcoholic drinks. Arriving early also ensures you can view the pre-show content, which often includes interviews and behind-the-scenes content for the featured films.

3. Book a Spa Date

Another laid-back date is to enjoy a morning or afternoon treatment at the Spa at Boyne Mountain. From an array of custom facials and massages to manicures and pedicures with a mountain-side view, this spa will relax and rejuvenate even the most tired spirits.

A serene setting, quality products, and a team of trained specialists are what await you and yours in Boyne Falls. Once you book your date at the spa, get ready to also have full-day access to the relaxation lounges, whirlpool, steam room, cedar sauna, and fitness facilities. After treating yourself to the spa, you’ll feel energized to make it through the final leg of winter!

 

Active Date Activities

4. Winter Tubing Date in Boyne Falls

For those who love a date activity that keeps you moving, snow tubing at Boyne Mountain may be right up your alley. The Tubing Park at Boyne Mountain features three 700-foot-long tubing lanes of groomed snow, ideal for getting fresh air and burning calories from laughing. Plus, the park plays a fun soundtrack for tubers to enjoy, and there’s no trudging up hills and getting overly sweaty on your date—there’s a covered conveyor lift that transports you from hill base to hill top. The Tubing Park is open Wednesday through Sunday during the winter season.

 

5. Ice Skate Outdoors in Petoskey or Boyne City

Ice skating is another active option that has “romantic date” written all over it. Avalanche Mountain Preserve and Petoskey Winter Sports Park both offer outdoor skating rinks, warming houses, restrooms, and loaner skates or skates to rent. Access to these outdoor rinks is based on weather conditions, so definitely check their websites to make sure you can attempt your synchronized side-by-side skating.

6. Challenge Your Date to Arcade Games in Petoskey

For those inclined toward indoor winter dates, perhaps visiting Out of This World Arcade and Game for a step back in time with arcade games from the 80s and 90s is more your jam. Located on Emmet Street, not far from downtown Petoskey, this newer establishment offers more than 50 games, including beat-’em-ups, fighting games, shooters, and even puzzle and sports titles. For just $10, you get unlimited free play with admission.

7. Bowling on a Budget at Northern Lights in Harbor Springs

Another classic indoor date activity is bowling, and Northern Lights Recreation offers Monday Quarter Mania for a fun, budget-friendly night out. Bowl from 7–10PM for $12 per person, with bowling games and shoe rentals 25 cents a pop. And, if you’re feeling like you’ve still got energy to burn, laser tag is half off on Monday nights, too.

 

Dates Not for the Faint of Heart

Sometimes we all need to insert a little excitement into our lives, and unusual or adventurous date-night activities can absolutely fit the bill.

8. Take the stage with Karaoke at Muskrat in Boyne City

Muskrat Distilling in Boyne City hosts karaoke nights every Wednesday, from 8–11PM, where anyone can get up and take a turn with the microphone, as long as you’re brave enough! An evening full of singing, dancing, laughs, seasonal cocktails and mocktails, and a rotating menu of food, makes this cocktail lounge the perfect spot for a mid-week night out.

9. Try Your Luck Breaking out of Petoskey’s Escape Room

Know Way Out, Petoskey’s Escape Room, provides groups or couples with an interactive challenge that keeps you guessing, wondering, and puzzling until the very end! You and your significant other will be put to the test, facing queries, tackling riddles, and collecting clues, with just 60 minutes to figure out the mystery at hand. Tick tock. It’s an adventure within the confines of one room! Reservations are strongly encouraged, and each experience is private, so this can truly be a bonding date-night experience.

10. Walk the SkyBridge Michigan and visit a Snow Fort Bar

And finally, this adventure will take you to new heights over the Boyne Valley. Suspended 118 feet in the air, SkyBridge Michigan at Boyne Mountain is the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge that is covered with more than 200,000 twinkling lights during the winter season, making this bridge walk quite memorable. Walk the bridge during daytime or evening hours for completely different experiences.

Now, if heights aren’t your thing, this is your opportunity to grow, channel your inner Indiana Jones, and get some amazing selfies with your beloved. There’s no need to look down or through the glass panels at the bridge’s center; take your time crossing and prepare for some delicious comfort food and drinks at The Eagle’s Nest on the other side of the valley. Or pop into Iglu, Michigan’s new snow fort bar, while the weather remains cold, and toast to an accomplished feat.

 

There you have it—10 date ideas to help get you through the remaining weeks of winter in Northern Michigan! Consider giving them all a try, or pick your preferred category and enjoy the activities that resonate with you and your other half.

 

About the Author: Alex Dailey is a long-time Northern Michigan resident who happily calls Petoskey home. When she isn’t at her computer writing and editing, you can find her taste-testing craft cocktails, patronizing downtown shops (especially bookstores), and participating in as many local literary events as possible. She looks forward to sharing her Petoskey Area favorites with you!