Valentine’s Day in the Old Mill District in Bend, OR means sweets, treats and so much more.

The sweetest day of the year calls for all the treats your sweets can handle! From Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cakes and the bins and bins of chocolate goodness at Sweet Tooth Candy Shoppe, to traditional dinner dates and spontaneous experiential adventures, we’ve got a few Valentine’s date and gift ideas for you.

A great place to start a memorable evening is to cozy up fireside on the back patio at Va Piano Vineyards and soak in the sunset while sipping a red reserve, or unwind at Evoke Winery while basking in each other’s company over a bottle of Bougie New Beau.

Va Piano fireside wine tasting

Another experience we love are the casting lessons and fly tying classes at Confluence Fly Shop. Get to know each other along the river while the experts at Confluence Fly Shop teach you how to cast and tie flies. Then laugh about it over a local craft beer at the new indoor-outdoor bar at the shop while planning your next adventure.

We’re big fans of dancing…..in the kitchen! Kara’s Kitchenware offers cooking classes every Wednesday night. Great for a date or as a gift. Together you can learn the art of rolling sushi, curating tiered cakes or how to make your own pasta.

Kara's Kitchenware Cake Cooking Class

There’s always the tried-and-true dinner and a movie, too. The restaurants in the Old Mill District offer an array of culinary creations to satisfy even the most selective palates. A few of our favorite dishes currently include:

Pan Fried Willapa Bay Oysters – Anthony’s Restaurant
Kalbi Pork Ribs – Boxwood Kitchen
Lemon Caper King Salmon – Greg’s Grill
Johnson Roll and Sisters Roll – Mio Sushi
Fresh guacamole and Camarones Envueltos En Tocino – Hola! Nouveau Mexican-Peruvian Cuisine
Bottomless Fries, you can’t go wrong with bottomless fries, right?! – Red Robin

Valentine’s Day is also the perfect excuse to enjoy a bucket of buttery popcorn or a good old fashion box of Mike and Ike candy during Regal Old Mill ScreenX & IMAX’s  sneak peek screening of “Dog” featuring Channing Tatum, or the romantic comedy “Marry Me” starring Jenifer Lopez and Owen Wilson.

No matter how you choose to spend this day, or with whom, holidays like this can be helpful reminders for us to spread more love and share memorable moments with each other.  Happy Valentine’s Day, Bend!