What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1336786
FEBRUARY 7-13, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 9 beer and chocolate pairing. The possibilities in upping the romance, or the fun, when it comes to food are literally endless! DIY Personal finance website WalletHub reports that more than 98 million Americans expect their partner to spend less on Valentine's Day in 2021. But even if it's not expected, a do-it- yourself gift, activity or romantic evening can be all the more meaningful and entertaining. Challenge yourself to re-create at home, as closely as possible, the first date you had with your sweetheart. Set up a bowling alley or mini golf course with household items in the living room. Mix up some at-home skincare treatments and pamper yourself or your love with a spa night. The more creative you can get with bringing traditional date ideas home, the more fun you'll have. Promise! — Build a fort in the living room for a movie night or Netflix binge. — Organize an online trivia or board game night. — Dig out your most festive or most outrageous clothes, or just all the cute outfits you didn't get to wear in 2020, and host a virtual fashion show with your girls. A background soundtrack from "America's Next Top Model" or "RuPaul's Drag Race" is a must here. — Make your own scavenger hunt: silly if it's for the little ones, sexy if it's for a partner. And, because it's a holiday, everyone wins when the prize is uncovered! — Take a trip down memory lane by working on a relationship (or family) scrapbook together. A scrapbook is a wonderful and sentimental gift, but constructing one together will infuse the piece with both partners' memories, including the new memories you'll make being creative together. Go Of course you can seek out a patio (if the weather permits) on which to while away the hours with some good nosh. But if you're heading outdoors with your Val- Pal- or Galentine, why not get a little more adventurous with it? In our corner of the state alone, there are more than 200 miles of hard- and soft-surface trails, many shared-use. Get that vitamin D in with a daring (or leisurely) hike, bike trip, or even a scenic horseback ride. Pack up some hot cocoa — or maybe something with a little more kick — to keep you warm, and cozy up on a blanket once the sun goes down for some romantic stargazing. In a date day, or family fun outing, that combines creativity and some heart-healthy exercise, gather a few smooth stones to paint (with nontoxic paint!) some "kindness rocks," then trek out into the neighborhood or beyond to leave the rocks for others to stumble upon a little bright spot in their day. — Mail out or deliver old fashioned Valentines to those you're missing. — Book a local photographer for a safely distanced outdoor photo session. — Sneak away for the weekend to a secluded cabin or brave the chill on a camping trip. — "Grab your sweetie or come looking for love" at the Race Bentonville Valentines 5K/8K race. — Join nonprofit Snake Mountain Pack Goats for a hike at Devil's Den State Park, followed by wine tasting at Sassafras Winery in Springdale. See How many virtual concerts, plays or performances did you "attend" last year? Whether it was too many to count, or none at all, there are a few pretty special events in the works for Valentine's weekend that may just entice you to tune in again. And, let's be honest, now that "The Office" has left Netflix, you're going to need something else to stave off yet another "Bridgerton" rewatch. Feb. 14 is the final day to stream TheatreSquared's hilarious surprise hit "School Girls: Or, the African Mean Girls Play." The February theme for Downtown Rogers' Art on the Bricks — a traditionally in-person art walk, currently hosted as a virtual exhibition — is "Love Is…" Our favorite Americana band out of Harrison, National Park Radio, is hosting a free, one-time-only V-Day concert just for singles (the couples event is sold out). — Dig some spoken word by streaming a virtual poetry reading or story time for the kids. — Check if your favorite comedian is doing an online show (like a new favorite of mine, up-and-coming New York comedian Emily Wilson, whom I'll be tuning in for!) — Have a watch party across any distance with streaming services' group watch feature: Disney+ has an in-service GroupWatch option; Hulu and Amazon both have Watch Party options, but are accessible only via computer. And there are several browser extensions (like Teleparty and TwoSeven) you can download to your internet browser that will work across myriad other services. ——— However you choose to spend Valentine's Day in 2021, be sure to show yourself as much kindness, as much grace and as much love as you offer to those around you. That's something we can all always use a little more. Americana band National Park Radio released their new EP, "The Road Home," last summer, and now the band is giving music lovers another reason to groove together. National Park Radio will host a one-night-only virtual concert just for singles (the couples event is sold out) at 8 p.m. on Valentine's Day. nationalparkradio.com. (Courtesy Photo) The Eden's Botanicals mobile flower truck, outside the new brick and mortar store located at Uptown Apartments and Retail in Fayetteville, will host several workshops throughout the month of February — including a Feb. 13 Galentine's Day event with florals themed for the holiday along with a complimentary cocktail/ mocktail bar. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk) "The Queen of Hearts" Muralist and makeup artist Amy Schettle Terry is a recent Northwest Arkansas transplant and has several of her exciting pieces included in the February Art on the Bricks virtual art walk, like this look inspired by our favorite queen of the card deck. facebook.com/Gussyland. (Courtesy Photo/Amy Schettle Terry, courtesy Downtown Rogers Inc.)