10 Downtown Date Night Ideas for 2023

February is, of course, the month of love. It’s also typically the last month of wintery weather in downtown Salt Lake City. (Come on, spring!) And it’s Black History month. For all of those reasons and likely more, we think February is a fantastic time to mix things up by planning a night on the town with the one you love. Following are 10 date night ideas that go above and beyond simply making a dinner reservation.

Get Your Rooftop Curling On
Unleash your inner Olympian at the only rooftop curling lanes in Salt Lake City, located on the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City’s (170 South W. Temple) rooftop Sundance Terrace, kept cozy with heat lamps and upholstered seating. While testing out your curling prowess, sip a warm “Split the House” cocktail or nibble on a Beehive Cheese board. Curling and Cocktails tickets start at $80 for two, which includes one hour of curling and one drink and snack per person. Each additional guest is $40 for up to 8 total participants per lane. Curling and Cocktails is available on select evenings and afternoons. But don’t dilly dally! This experience is available during February only.

Twirl and Glide at the Gallivan Center
Not many activities are as quintessentially romantic than gliding around an ice rink, hand-in-hand with the one you love. Take advantage of these last few weeks of winter weather by heading down to the huge, outdoor Gallivan Center Ice Rink (239 S. Main St). Figure and hockey skate rentals are included with admission. An onsite snack bar sells hot chocolate, coffee, pizza slices and other snacks. This date idea won’t last long, however; the Gallivan Center ice rink closes for the season on February 28.

See a World Premiere Play Exploring a Dark Chapter in Utah History
Though the subject matter is not scream “date night,” this play sounds so good we could not resist including it in this list. Pygmalion Productions’ (Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South) “Mountain Meadows,” written by Utah playwright, Deborah Threedy, intertwines two stories under the umbrella of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a series of attacks that occurred in Utah in 1857 resulting in the death of 120 members of the Baker-Fancher pioneer wagon train. In the play, two women—one a descendant of the perpetrating family and the other a descendant of the surviving family—struggle both to find the truth about those horrifying events and how to face that truth when they do eventually discover it. “Mountain Meadows” plays February 17 to March 4, 2023.

Celebrate Our Beautiful and Wonderous Home
Despite all the not-so-great news about the environment, there’s still plenty to love—and protect—about our planet. Our Planet, Live in Concert—based on the award-winning Netflix series—combines breathtaking HD cinematography with all-new orchestrations by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price. During this stunning performance, held at the Eccles Theatre (131 S. Main St) on February 14, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., you and your partner will be transported from the world’s oceans and deserts to the Artic and the Serengeti, all accompanied by a live onstage orchestra. Tickets start at just $30 and are available through Arttix.

Spend a Magical Evening with Gene Kelly, George Gershwin and The Utah Symphony
Arguably one of the best movie musicals made ever is An American in Paris. In a very small nutshell, this classic film is a feel-good rom-com about the meeting, misadventures and eventual coupling of Jerry Mulligan (played by Gene Kelly) and Lise Bouvier (played by Leslie Caron). But the story really pales in comparison to the movie’s multiple dance sequences, choreographed by Kelly and set to music from George Gershwin’s 1928 orchestral composition titled, you guessed it, An American in Paris. The Utah Symphony will play the film’s full score live on stage at Abravanel Hall (123 W. South Temple) while this beloved movie plays behind them on the big screen on February 24 and 25, 2023 at 7 p.m. Tickets start at just $15 and are available at utahsymphony.org.

Sip Some Suds While Getting Bendy
Though we’re speculating, we’d wager that the opportunities to quaff a beer while participating in a vinyasa flow are few. But that’s exactly what you can do at The Gateway Mall’s semi-weekly Yoga and Beer gathering. At this fun and social event, a trained yoga instructor guides participants through a powerful flow, integrated with optional beer drinking postures. (You’ll need to attend to find out what a “beer drinking posture” is!) Yoga and Beer will host a special Valentine’s Day-themed class on February 8, 2023 at 6 p.m. If you miss that one, don’t fret; Yoga and Beer commences on February 15th and 22 as well (and every Wednesday thereafter). Classes are held at 16 N. Rio Grande St, Street Level, right behind the Plaza Stage, at 6 p.m. The yoga is free, though space is limited and pre-registration is required. Bonus: the beers are just $5 each.

Share an Endorphin High
Nothing brings two people closer together than sharing a good laugh, and at Wiseguys (194 S. 200 West) you and your partner can spend a whole evening chuckling, giggling and downright belly laughing. Widely considered one of the best comedy clubs in the Western U.S., Wiseguys books comics ranging from household name pros to up-and-coming funny guys and gals. Weekend shows at Wiseguys generally feature three to four entertainers. While you’re there, be sure to ask for an order of the fantastic house nachos with a beer, glass of wine or cocktail from the full-service bar.

Check Out a Flick About or By a Person of Color
To mark Black History Month, the Salt Lake Film Society hit up Saidah Russell—shorts programmer for the Sundance Film Festival and film programmer for Rooftop Films—to curate a collection of films that spotlight black cinema’s unique and varied experience. The resulting collection, titled Presenting Black Cinema, is a vibrant collage of musicals, Southern Horror/Gothic films, Afro-Futuristic flicks and movies made by contemporary black directors. Selected titles include The Wiz, Black Panther, Tales From the Hood, Eve’s Bayou and many more. Screenings will be held on Friday and Saturdays at the Broadway Centre Cinemas (111 E. Broadway) each Friday and Saturday throughout February 2023. For tickets and showtimes visit slfs.org.

Pub Crawl Along One of Downtown’s Most Vibey Locales
The colorful murals, plucky businesses and narrow alleyway gives downtown’s Edison Street a gritty and creative ambiance that’s, truth be told, more San Francisco than Salt Lake City. Along with Edison’s must-visit retailers and restaurants like Diabolical Records (238 South Edison), FICE Gallery (160 E. 200 South) ROCTACO (248 S. Edison) and Brick & Mortar (228 S. Edison), this personality-rich alleyway also boasts some of downtown’s most talked about bars; places like the upscale but never stuffy Copper Common (111 E. Broadway), the new-wave diner feeling Franklin Ave. (231 S. Edison), and alley’s latest additional, Back Door (152 E. 200 South), a cozy, speakeasy-esque cocktail lounge tucked behind the newest location of its parent
business, Laziz Kitchen. If you and your amore decide to linger awhile at any one of these one-of-a-kind watering holes during your progressive tour of Edison Street’s bars, take your time. All three are open until midnight. At the Gateway, Flanker will also be hosting the Parlor of Love Tuesday February 14th. Chef Joshua Jerardo has created a chef's tasting menu for $95 that includes a trio of oysters, gem hearts and endive salad, miso glazed cod, and an 8 oz rib eye steak. Guests can Book now for this special evening, taking place in Flanker's premium parlor.

Tap into Salt Lake City’s Rich Live Music Scene
If geeking out on live music is how you and your partner connect, then you’ll find plenty of ways to celebrate your union in downtown Salt Lake, particularly this month. The punk-rock quartet, Bayside, plays The Complex (2,500-person venue, 536 W. 100 South) on February 23 while pop-punk powerhouse, Mod Sun, makes a stop on their God Save The Teen Tour at The Depot (1,200-person venue,13 N. 400 West) on February 27. For a more intimate yet still concert-like vibe, get tickets to see Marsh, one of the most popular and recently sought-after acts in progressive house music, booked at Soundwell (650-person venue, 149 W. 200 South) on February 24. An even more intimate setting—with locally driven live music seven nights a week—can be found at Lake Effect (155 W. 200 South) where live music plays seven nights a week.