Valentine’s Day is all about being sweet to those you love, and Wichita certainly gives you lots of wonderful, more reasonably priced options for celebrating together.
There are all kinds of ways to say I love you –and with this wide variety of sweet events and deals to choose from, you can decide how you want to celebrate. There are some really unique and unusual options this year to treat yourself and those around you. Show some love for your friends, family, sweetheart, community, favorite football team, or even yourself!
Some of these Wichita Valentine’s Day events and deals are even free.
We’ll be adding to this list as we go, so keep checking back! Do you know of an event we missed? Tell us about it in the comments!
Valentines Day Events and Deals in Wichita
Looking for a night (or day) out on the town to celebrate Valentines Day? These events fit the bill and they’re all in the lower or middle range, price-wise, for a special occasion.
Visit the Wichita Art Museum Admission is FREE to the Wichita Art Museum on Saturday, so for Valentine’s Day you can take a romantic stroll through the museum and enjoy the exhibits.
Stroll the gardens at Botanica Botanica just announced that admission for the entire month of February is just $5, so rather than giving flowers, you can give her the whole garden. Take a spin on the restored Joyland Carousel on Saturdays for just $3 per person.
Join in on the Big Read with the library as part of Wichita’s Big Read. Pre-registration is required and you’ll want to make note of when to pick up your supplies so you can participate in this fun virtual event.
Free game day food from Ibotta Since Valentine’s Day weekend coincides with the Super Bowl Game, you and your sweetest will probably partake of some game day snacks. Ibotta has an offer that will save you 100% on several popular offers – but you’re going to need to get started early because some of the offers don’t unlock until after you refer a friend.
Enjoy a live dance performance The Regina Klenjoski Dance Company will perform Duets For My Valentine on Saturday, February 12 at the Crown Uptown Theatre. The evening will include new work and repertory by Artistic Director Regina Klenjoski, a new work, “Shades of Love,” by guest choreographer Tristian Griffin from Kansas City, and “InsideOut” by Nick Johnson, former director of WSU’s Dance Program. Tickets for the performance are $25/$35 ($20 for seniors and $10 for students). There’s also a pre-show rendezvous sponsored by Grace Hill Winery; tickets for the pre-show events are $15 per person and include a special wine tasting, treats, music and a silent auction.
Visit CityArts – The free exhibit this month is Art that Touches Your Heart. Artwork from 19 artists conveys a wide range of expression about the contemporary African American experience.
Kids Craft at Chicken N Pickle – On Sunday, February 13, Chicken N Pickle will have a FREE Valentine’s Day craft for kids between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can get more info about the Little Valentine event here at the Chicken N Pickle website.
Galentine’s Day at Walters Pumpkin Patch – I don’t necessarily think of this as cheap, but the $40 tickets do include wine, mac and cheese, chocolate fountain, and live music so maybe it’s totally worth it. ($35 tickets without wine.)
Plus, if you buy a table (6 tickets) you’ll get one ticket free so that’s a discount. Tickets must be purchased by February 8 to confirm food. Get more info here on their Facebook event page.
Dillons Bloom Haus Bouquet and Chocolate Truffles – Dillons has a few deals this week for Valentine’s Day, including a cute bouquet for as little as $7 and a heart-shaped box of Dove chocolates for $4.49. To see all the deals visit dillons.com/valentines
Alabama concert at INTRUST Bank Arena – With tickets starting at just $39.50, the Alabama plus Beach Boys concert this Saturday in Wichita could just be the Valentine’s Day event dreams are made of. One of my favorite concerts ever was Alabama, and I’m not just saying that because they represent my home state. Get tickets and more info here at the INTRUST Bank Arena website. Play me some mountain music!
Send a Hallmark card – You can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day without sending your sweetheart a greeting card. (They call it a Hallmark holiday for a reason!) While this one from Hallmark may not arrive in time, you can always send one for their birthday, your anniversary or just to let them know you’re thinking of them any day of the year.
Hallmark’s Gold Crown loyalty members can send a FREE personalized greeting card (including postage) through the shop’s Sign & Send service. The offer is available through June 30.
Whole Foods has a double dozen roses for just $19.99. Here’s more info.
Valentine’s Day Restaurant Deals
Extra points at Firehouse Subs for Valentine’s Day
Andy’s Frozen Custard – has a year-round deal worth mentioning: Bring your furry BFF to Andy’s for a special “PAL-entine’s” treat. Pups always get their own cone when they visit Andy’s – just ask for one when you’re placing your people food order.
Auntie Anne’s – Don’t get it twisted, Auntie Anne’s is offering a sweet deal on Feb. 14. Pretzel Perks members receive a buy-one-get-one FREE Chocolate Frost on Valentine’s Day, when they order in-store or on the Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Perks app.
Baskin-Robbins – Surprise your sweetheart with the Box of Chocolates Cake from Baskin-Robbins. The specialty cake is made with your favorite cake flavor and ice cream flavor. Price varies by location.
And, back by popular demand, the shop’s Flavor of the Month for February is once again Love Potion #31. The limited-time flavor features white chocolate and raspberry ice cream, a raspberry swirl, chocolate chips and raspberry-filled chocolate hearts.
Papa John’s Just because happy hearts day is on a Monday this year doesn’t mean you can’t still acknowledge it. If dinner time is hectic, order a heart-shaped pizza from Papa John’s. A 1-topping is just $11 and arrives unsliced.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Thursday, February 10 through Monday, February 21, enjoy a Carrabba’s Italian Grill four-course dinner for two for $60 – available for dine-in and carside carryout. Add a strawberry Rose Margarita if you like. It’s Carrabba’s newest cocktail. To find the closest location, make a reservation or place an order, visit https://www.carrabbas.com/.
Chick Fil A – Beginning January 31 at participating locations and only while supplies last, you can pick up your favorite Chick Fil A treats on a heart-shaped tray for Valentine’s Day. (If I remember correctly, the northwest Wichita locations did not have the heart-shaped trays last year, so your mileage may vary on this one.)
Bonefish Grill – It’s a splurge at $32.90 per person but the Scallop and Shrimp Scampi Filet that Bonefish has prepared for Valentine’s day features a 7 oz wood-grilled filet mignon topped with tender bay scallops and shrimp tossed in garlic scampi sauce and finished with fresh tomatoes. Speaking of finishing, you could top off the romantic feast with Chocolate Lava Cake and a Smoked Old Fashioned. Not even close to cheap, but some folks like to save up and splurge for Valentine’s Day. Available Feb. 3 through 16, 2022.
Qdoba – Grab someone sweet and share a Qdoba BOGO entrée on February 14. This annual offer is only available to QDOBA Rewards members this year.
Firehouse Subs wants to show some love to its rewards members by offering them triple points on any order placed on Monday, February 14. It’s not as good as deals they’ve offered in the past but if you’re a regular you’ll appreciate the extra points.
Photo: Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme has a sweetheart dozen this year with two Valentine’s Day cards incorporated right into the box. Not only are the doughnuts cute (and I’m sure delicious) but you and pop out the perforated cards and hand them to the person/people you’re sharing your doughnut dozen with.
Starbucks is helping you send some love – and coffee – more affordably. On Feb. 14, get 50% off your Starbucks delivery order on Uber Eats. Use code VDAY50. In typical Starbucks fashion, they just announced this deal last night.
Wendy’s – Although it’s not a Valentine-specific deal, it IS specific to February: Every Friday in February, Wendy’s has a deal for FREE food for its app users who purchase fries. You can see each week’s FREE food item here at our sister site, Living on the Cheap.
Related: Get yourself some heart-shaped food to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the ones you love
Budget-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Wichita
Some folks believe being “cheap” or frugal on a holiday like Valentine’s Day is a negative. But what’s more romantic than penny-pinching so you can hit the cap on your retirement fund contributions this year? (Nothing says ‘I want to grow old with you’ better than that.) So don’t be afraid to celebrate in a way that makes you just as happy tomorrow as it does today. Here are some frugal, budget-friendly ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day that are also (we think) romantic.
Related: Budget-friendly Wichita Date Ideas
It probably goes without saying, but Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be celebrated on February 14. Since it’s on a Monday this year, more people will likely celebrate on Friday or Saturday night.
Go out for dessert. Maybe Valentine’s Day is the day you splurge and go out for dinner, but restaurants are likely to be a max capacity and discounts could be hard to come by. If you have a favorite sweet shop, coffee shop or bar, that might be more fun – and probably less expensive. Plan a nice meal at home, then head out.
You can also pick up sweets ahead of time. Not all of the local places will be open at night, so picking up a special dessert in advance is a good way to go.
Make a playlist. It’s old-school, and maybe hopelessly dorky, but I can’t imagine anyone not liking that their significant other took the time to make a playlist for them. And it’s extremely inexpensive – and maybe even free if you’ve got a digital music subscription. (Amazon Prime members can also make use of thousands of songs Prime provides for free.) If you yourself are old-school and don’t have any digital music, burn a CD or play some records. 🙂
Pick up roses or other flowers from the floral department of the grocery store. Whole Foods has brought back its Valentine’s Day roses deal for Prime members, and you can also usually find a deal on flowers at Aldi or Dillons. You have to DIY the bouquet, vase and ribbons, but that’s no step for a stepper. You can do this. You have Google and YouTube.
OR opt for a bouquet of balloons if that’s something your loved one will appreciate. You can find them relatively inexpensively at Party City – ask about any sales or coupons they have. Dollar Tree is another place to find inexpensive foil balloons. A bunch of these can have a big impact.
Get a deal on a card. Speaking of Dollar Tree, check there first for greeting cards. We’ve found some really nice ones – sometimes after perusing shelves for hours at other stores. And they are so much less expensive. (Obviously, if you can’t find what you want, head over to a different store.)
Set the stage. If you are celebrating part or all of Valentine’s Day at home, remember to clean the house, light some candles, start the playlist, and maybe toss a red or pink throw on the sofa for cuddling. This is basically free, and the effort is 100% worth it. Valentine’s Day surrounded by laundry, bills, and your coffee cups from this morning just won’t feel special.
Remember your library. It has movies, books (including cookbooks), audiobooks, and even events. For example, on Saturday, February 13 this year, you can participate in an entire Day of Creativity as part of the Big Read in Wichita. They’ll have you making pots, planting seeds, and writing stories. Doesn’t that sound like a great bonding experience? (This is a virtual/online event. Be sure to plan ahead for this one; you need to register in advance and pick up supplies from the presenters.) It’s also completely free!
Put together an inexpensive charcuterie board from Aldi. This has become all the rage. The bargain grocery store is known for it’s fantastic selection of amazing cheeses, and at my Aldi the other things for a charcuterie board – like jams, olives, sweet cherries, smoked sausage – are directly opposite the cheese section. Fresh meats are right next to it. Within a few minutes you can have delicious savory and sweet items together. Pick up some crackers and fresh fruit and you have a special Valentine’s Day charcuterie.
Last year’s events and deals:
Whole Foods has announced that its Double Dozen bunch of roses deal is back for 2021. Prime members can pick up two dozen single-color roses for only $19.99 from February 10 to 16, while supplies last.
McCalister’s Deli Kids Eat Free on Valentine’s Day Enjoy an extra special family date night on the cheap at McAlister’s on Sunday, February 14. Up to two kids eat free (from the Kids’ Menu) with adult entrée purchase. If you’re ordering online or via the app, use code BEMINE21 to get the deal. More info
Chick N Max is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a Love Me Tenders deal, and they’re even adding a new sauce flavor, Love Potion (spicy ranch). From Friday, February 12 through Sunday, February 14, you can get 10 of Chick N Max’s signature tenders for $10. The special is available for pick-up, delivery, and dine in at any of its three locations (2350 N Greenwich Road; 3520 N. Maize Road; and 352 S. West St at Maple).
