SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — As the holidays approach, many are hoping to spend more time with their loved ones and “snuggle up together like two birds of a feather would be.” While you can go on a date anytime of the year, here are some unique ideas that can only be enjoyed during the winter and holiday season.
While these ideas make for great date nights, most of them can also be turned into a fun family or friend outing with little to no adjustment. If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening in Utah, check out our list of activities for the holiday season.
Drink hot cocoa and walk in the city
Macy’s Candy Windows at the City Creek Center. (KTVX)
“City sidewalks, busy sidewalks” — a wonderful way to spend winter with your loved ones is to pop into a local cafe or coffee shop and then walk down the beautifully decorated streets of the city while enjoying a warm drink, stopping at any stores that catch your eye on the way. Whether it’s hot chocolate, coffee, or hot apple cider, it’s a great way to keep your hands warm.
If you’re not sure where to walk, consider checking out your local Main Street or visiting the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City to view the Macy’s Candy Windows. Below are some locations that make for a fun viewing experience during the holiday season:
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City Creek Center in Salt Lake City
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American Fork Main Street
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Gardner Village in West Jordan
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Park City’s Historic Main Street
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Ogden’s Christmas Village
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Sugar House Neighborhood in Salt Lake City
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Helper Christmas Town on Main Street
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St. George Christmas Village
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Temple Square in Salt Lake City
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Cedar City Historic Downtown Main Street
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Provo Historic Center Street
Also, consider checking your city or town’s local calendar to see if there will be a tree-lighting ceremony or decorations popping up.
Donate your time
FILE – A Utah Food Bank volunteer carries groceries for the needy at a mobile food pantry distribution site Dec. 21, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
A great way to spend your time during the holidays is giving back to the community. If you and your loved ones find yourself with some spare time on your hands, consider volunteering or doing acts of service.
Nonprofits and resource centers across the Beehive State are looking for help, especially around the holidays. Consider hosting a food drive for the Utah Food Bank or another local pantry, or volunteering to deliver meals to seniors, or even just helping out a neighbor or community member in need.
If you’re looking for more ideas about how to get involved and help those in need, ABC4 has a list of service and volunteering ideas for the holidays.
Giving Season: Volunteer and service ideas for the holiday season
Hit the snow with skis, snowboards or sleds
People sled down a hill after heavy snow in Provo, Utah on February 22, 2023. (Photo: GEORGE FREY/AFP via Getty Images)
Once the snow hits, so many opportunities open up! While it might be freezing outside, the winter weather creates a chance for you to hit the slopes or a local sledding hill to recreate.
If you and your partner enjoy skiing or snowboarding, Utah has no shortage of ski resorts and slopes. Or, if you have the experience, you can try your hand at backcountry skiing. Spending time together on the mountain is a great way to connect and even try learning new skills if one of you hasn’t experienced skiing or snowboarding before.
However, if you’re looking for a more laid-back experience, the snowfall also means you can put on your coat, grab a sled, and head to a nearby hill. While some places provide sleds and a fun experience, like Soldier Hollow, anyone can pick up a sled at the store and find somewhere to play.
Once you’ve finished with your snowy excursion, you and your loved one can warm up inside at a restaurant or at home while you talk about how much fun you had.
Create or decorate a wreath together
Looking for a more hands-on experience? Check out a local wreath-making class! Crafting a wreath with your partner is a great way to try something new and create a meaningful decoration that you can show off.
Several gardens, gardening stores stores and botanical centers in Utah offer wreath-making classes and experiences. Red Butte Garden and Arboretum in Salt Lake City offers a wreath workshop that provides fresh greens, a frame, wire, and decorations. Cactus and Tropicals, in Draper, Midvale, and Salt Lake City, also offers a wreath-decorating class that includes a fir wreath and decorating supplies.
Plenty of other locations statewide are offering wreath-making or decorating classes and workshops. If you’re looking for something closer to you, check out event listings and your nearest locally-owned garden store.
Get crafty: 10 unique classes for date nights or family fun along the Wasatch Front
Ice skate with your beloved
Courtesy: The Gallivan Center
Whether you’re an ice skating pro or a complete amateur, there’s fun to be had. Nothing says date night like holding onto your partner’s hand while gracefully gliding (or stumbling) across the ice. Utah is home to a good number of ice skating rinks across the state, and most offer skate rentals and concessions.
While there are plenty more rinks across the Beehive State, below are a few places to check out if you’re not sure what to look for:
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The Gallivan Center — Salt Lake City
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Peaks Ice Arena — Provo
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Park City Ice Arena — Park City
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Utah Olympic Oval — Kearns
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KJ’s Ice Barn — Enoch
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Brian Head Ice — Brian Head
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Eccles Ice Center — North Logan
Enjoy Christmas light displays
Holiday lights illuminated at The Gateway in Downtown Salt Lake (Image courtesy of The Gateway)
If you’re searching for a more low-key way to spend an evening, consider going for a drive or a walk and looking at local Christmas light displays. Many neighborhoods in Utah go all-out for Christmas time, meaning you might be a short distance away from a brilliant or unique display at any given time.
Some houses will do a light show that’s set to music; you just park near the house and tune your radio to enjoy the synchronized display. Christmas in Color is a paid experience, but it allows you to drive through elaborate tunnels and enjoy cool lights you might not see anywhere else.
For light displays you can walk around in, consider visiting Utah’s Hogle Zoo during ZooLights, Tracy Aviary’s Lightwalk, Spanish Fork’s Festival of Lights, or Ogden’s Christmas Village. Many other cities and organizations in Utah put on light shows, so be sure to check out what’s happening nearby.
Eat inside of a snowglobe
The Alpenglobes at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City. (Courtesy: Alpenglobe)
Have you ever wanted to enter a snowglobe? Several locations along the Wasatch Front offer you and your loved ones a dining experience that simulates the feeling. Alpenglobes are glass domes that protect from the weather while allowing you to look at the beautiful winter wonderland. Although it’s one of the more expensive options on the list, it makes for a memorable and unique date night.
The Alpenglobe experience is available at six locations in Utah, most of them in Park City:
Warm up in hot springs
Fifth Water Hot Springs, (Courtesy Adobe Stock/Eric Smith)
If you’re getting tired of the cold temperatures, consider taking a dip in a hot spring. While it might be a cold walk from the changing room to the spring, the warm water melts everything away — literally, if there happens to be snowfall.
The Beehive State is home to numerous hot springs, and most of them remain open year-round. Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville offers several springs and an Olympic pool. The Homestead Crater in Midway is deep and mostly enclosed, with a hole at the top. Mystic Hot Springs in Monroe features unique bathtubs and a large pool.
Some hot springs are out in the open for anyone to enjoy without an entrance fee or reservation. Just remember to keep safety in mind if you’re planning to visit these areas during the winter, as some of them require a bit of hiking.
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Fifth Water Hot Springs — Springville
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Saratoga Hot Springs — Saratoga Springs
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Meadow Hot Springs — Fillmore
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Red Hill Hot Springs — Monroe
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