By Caramie Petrowsky

We understand how hard it is to think of fun and unique ideas for date night. So, we wanted to provide some help and tell you about these unique wintertime offerings in Fort Collins that stood out. Please feel free to comment and add to our list so others can find a variety of things to do when they are stumped when it comes time for their date night in Fort Collins.

Soak in Some Art at First Friday Gallery Walk

Bundle up and grab your significant other for a self-guided walking tour of some of Fort Collins best art galleries. Fifteen galleries display new showings and open their doors for the tour, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., Dec. 1. While the tour takes place on the first Friday of every month, it’s especially romantic to wander through Old Town when the trees are all lit up and sparkling with festive holiday lights. Some of the galleries even offer adult beverages. Be sure to stop in and see the Dali & Picasso: Drawings & Prints exhibit at the Fort Collins Museum of Art. To see a map of the participating galleries, visit

Catch a Holiday Theater Production

Get gussied up and head out for a night at the theater this month when there are plenty of holiday-themed productions from which to choose.

Openstage Theatre & company is putting on “Christmas Chaos: Getting Scrooged” at the ArtLab in Fort Collins on Friday and Saturday evenings Dec. 1-23. The show, which is based on “A Christmas Carol” and “A Christmas Story,” is a fast and furious mashup of yuletide pandemonium, all interspersed with holiday songs and cheer. The show is 90 minutes long and tickets are $20 for adults. Visit www.lctix.com to learn more.

If that show doesn’t interest you, there are plenty of other holiday-themed options at the Lincoln Center: “Nutcracker with a Twist” Dec. 1-3; “A Musical Christmas Carol” Dec. 8-10; “The Nutcracker with the Fort Collins Symphony” Dec. 8-10; and “Clara and the Nutcracker” Dec. 15 and 16. For ticket prices, show times and other details, visit www.lctix.com.

A Four-Course Feast for a Good Cause

Ring in the holiday season with traditional Christmas carols, wassail toast, and flaming figgy pudding. The Larimer Chorale’s Dickens Dinner is set for Dec. 2 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Fort Collins Country Club. Ring in the holiday season with a four-course Victorian feast and a full evening of music by the elegantly costumed Dickens Carolers. Tickets ($75) are limited for this event; make your reservations early.

Swing into Avo’s for a Holiday-Themed Concert

Take your beloved to a holiday-themed concert; A Christmas Show with Vi Wickam and Friends lands at Avogadro’s Number at 8 p.m. Dec. 9.  Vi and his band of merry music makers will delight you and spark your holiday cheer. With special guest Paul Chet, you will be smiling and singing along to your Christmas favorites. This Holiday Showcase features local Loveland resident and nationally recognized fiddle player and vocalist, Vi Wickam. Last year, this group entertained a sold-out crowd in Fort Collins, and played songs from Vi’s Christmas CD entitled “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Paul Chet, a well-known country singer in both Colorado and Nashville, joins Vi to bring a combined 40-years of on-stage experience and unique vocal styles to the stage alongside some of Northern Colorado’s finest instrumental musicians. Tickets are $15. Visit www.avogadros.com/box-office.

Calling all Foodies

If your loved one fancies himself or herself a foodie, check out the Fort Collins Foodie Walk together on Dec. 15. Taking place from 5 to 8 p.m. in Old Town, you can meander into places like Nuance Chocolate, where they do a “Show and Smell” demonstrating how Nuance makes single-origin chocolate from raw cacao beans, followed by a taste of the delicious goods. Over at Lost Prairie Winery, they might sample a fall seasonal wine, like “Jump for Joy!” which is a cranberry-infused red wine blend. 

Enjoy Music Out of Doors

On Dec. 9, grab a hot chocolate or latte and your beloved’s hand and venture to Oak Street Plaza for Northern Colorado’s TUBA Christmas, a national tradition of a “Tuba & Euphonium only” concert ensemble playing a concert of holiday favorites at Oak Street Plaza. The event is free to the public, with music starting at 2 p.m. Visit www.tubachristmas.com/whatis.htm.

For the Kid in You

If your loved one is really just a big kid at heart, buy them tickets to see “A Charlie Brown Christmas” playing at the Lincoln Center on Dec. 22. Get transported back to your childhood while watching this faithful stage adaptation featuring all of your favorite characters and classic Vince Guaraldi score. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang as they mount a play, save a tree and uncover the true meaning of Christmas. Tickets are $25 for adults. Visit www.lctix.com.

Stargaze Away

Looking for a romantic date night that’s a little outside the typical dinner-and-a-movie box? Envision snuggling up under a blanket beneath the stars while looking for and hearing about distant planets and galaxies. On Dec. 23, join volunteers from the Northern Colorado Astronomical Society at the Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area. They’ll provide telescopes and their knowledge — you just bring a blanket and a date. Meet in the parking lot off Carpenter Road at 7 p.m. Free; registration required.

Dinner (or just dessert) at a New Spot

Tuck into a nice dinner (or just share a slice of pie) at the new Ginger and Baker, which just opened in November. Located at 359 Linden Street in the carefully renovated Northern Colorado Feeders Supply Building, a 110-year-old grain mill listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Historic Properties, Ginger and Baker boasts two restaurants, a rooftop bar, a market, bakery and coffee shop, plus a teaching kitchen and event spaces. Gawk at photos from the old mill’s history before dining at The Cache, a sparkling, intimate dining experience serving up tasty plates like beet and goat cheese raviolis, hard cider braised pork belly, house-made pasta and whiskey apple chicken. At The Café, you’ll find solid comfort food offerings, including five types of pot pies, country fried chicken, chicken and mushroom dumplings and cherry sour pork ribs. Dessert zeroes in on all things pie — apple, coconut cream, chocolate moon or caramelized banana cream. Visit https://gingerandbaker.com.