The Best Date Night Ideas
Looking for creative New Hampshire date night ideas? We’ve got you covered.
One of the best and most common pieces of advice we’ve heard from couples and wedding professionals alike is to “never stop dating”. What better way to say “I love you” and “I’m thinking of you” than planning a thoughtful date night for your person? Whether you want to make a grand gesture at a fancy dinner or simply enjoy some time together in nature, the Lakes Region is full of great options to create memories and special moments.
Granite State Supper Club Menu for August 21st at Cold Spring Farm.
Granite State Supper Club
Not your average night out to dinner; this is an expertly curated experience from start to finish. The Supper Club travels to different venues across New Hampshire, offering connection, adventure, activities, live entertainment, and chef-curated menus to live for. The perfect unique date night option (or grab your foodie friends for an adventure!) Join us at the farm on August 21 as we provide the backdrop for the next Granite State Supper Club. Find menu details and tickets here.
Photo shoot
Photo shoots aren’t just for recently engaged couples; the right setting and photographer can make a photoshoot a fun and memorable experience for you to share, regardless of what era your relationship is currently in. Go out or stay home, dress up or dress down, create a theme or don’t – whatever feels natural for you. The key is to pick a photographer you feel comfortable with and have fun with it! (If you’re on the hunt, we know a few!) Such a simple and beautiful way to connect, express your creativity, and create memories together.
#Lakelife day
The Lakes Region is home to countless beautiful lakes and all the recreation that comes with them. Head to one of our local beaches with a picnic and some floaties. Rent a pair of jet skis, paddleboards, or a boat to get out on the lake for a day of adventure, tubing, fishing, or a relaxing sunset cruise. If you’d prefer not to be the driver, consider a cruise on on the historic Mt. Washington.
Mountain day
Spend a day on the mountain at whatever speed suits you. There are countless incredible hiking, biking, and ski trails where you can choose how much of a challenge you’re up for. Ski resorts like Gunstock are also home to some great off-season activities like zip-lining, mountain coasters, and craft fairs. Some easy/moderate popular hiking destinations include (but are certainly not limited to) Mt.Major, Mt. Chocorua, Artist Bluff Trail, Basin-Cascades trail, and Flume Gorge Trail. For more challenging options - consider the Franconia Ridge Loop Trail, Mount Osceola, Tuckerman Ravine Trail, and the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail. Click here for even more awesome outdoor activities to do together.
Hikes with purpose
Try your luck at rockhounding along the countless miles of hiking trails throughout New Hampshire. Our State Parks and National Forests allow for personal/non-commercial rock-hunting with hand tools. Some great options for rock/gem hunting (with relatively short hike-ins) are Moat Mountain and Hurricane Mountain. Please make sure you check regulations before removing rocks from any location.
Take a class together
Take an art class to learn about a craft you both want to master. Go on an educational hike to learn about foraging. Try out archery, axe throwing, pickleball, or dance. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try something completely new to both of you. You may find a new passion, or at least create some core memories, trying! Some great places to take unique classes include The Makers Mill, The Bonsai Bar, The Outdoor Learning Center, New Hampshire Mushroom Company, Sole City Dance, Climaxe Throwing, Club Piklbal, and many more.
Catch some live music
What could be better than dancing the night away with your favorite person? New Hampshire is home to some truly great music venues worth keeping on your radar for date night. Whether you’re hoping to attend a large concert alongside thousands of fans or you’re on the hunt for a more intimate evening, there’s a spot for you on this list. Some of our favorites are Jimmy’s Jazz Club, 3S Artspace, Prescott Park, The Stone Church, Bank of NH Pavilion, Tupelo Music Hall, The Music Hall, The Capitol Center for the Arts, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, The Flying Monkey, and The Colonial Theatre.
Cook together
Take one of those recipe reels you saved on Instagram out of your saved folder and into your kitchen. Or better yet, book a cooking class to take together. Check out The Culinary Playground for an in-person class, or a website like Cozymeal if you prefer to stay home and take an online class.
Turn wedding planning into date nights
If you’re in your wedding planning era, make it fun by creating date nights around working on it together. This could include crafting together (at home or your local maker’s space,) working on the guest list over a nice dinner, dancing to potential song choices in the living room while learning from YouTube dance videos, turning your cake tasting into a day trip, or even booking an Airbnb for the weekend to shut out the world and create mood boards in your robes.
Unleash your inner child
Hit an amusement park like Canobie Lake Park, drive the Go Karts at Chucksters, try your hand at mini golf (for an indoor option, try Blackbeard’s Cove), or wander the arcade at the Wiers or FunSpot.
Visit the Farmer’s Market
There are plenty of farmer’s markets across the state with many towns offering their own day/time each week. Pick out whatever looks best and cook together, or make a day of checking out the crafts and trying out the food trucks. Click here for a list of markets across the state.
Take a scenic drive
The age-old NH tradition of taking a scenic drive through the Kancamagus Highway. Level this up by renting a convertible for the day to truly take it all in. Find out more information about the route here.
Go thrifting/antiquing
If you love the thrill of the find, New Hampshire has some incredible thrift stores and antique shops woven throughout the state. When you’re on your scenic drive, map out a few stops to check out the vintage/antique finds! Up the ante by agreeing to pick out an outfit at a boutique thrift store for each other to wear to dinner. Visit “Antique Alley” to find lots of great shops in one convenient location!
Create a couple's bucket list
Spend an evening getting to know what’s important to each other by compiling a list of the things you want to do/see the most. Dream and make plans for the future. Start a savings plan for whatever adventures you dream up together. Make a vision board for future trips. The famous quote attributed to Alexander Chalmers is "The three grand essentials of happiness are: Something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for." Happiness is having something to look forward to, and the planning can be a joyous experience, also, if you make it fun!
Anniversary date
Revisit something from your wedding on your anniversary. Rent a room at the same hotel, pack a picnic, and go back to your venue if they allow it (we know Cold Spring Farm would love to have you back), pull out your cards and re-read them, grab a bottle of the same wine you drank that night together, stay up late and go through your photo album or your guestbook, and simply spend time reflecting on how far you’ve come.
“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.”
We know that life gets busy and date nights often get pushed to the side when we’re tired or busy. Our hope for you is that no matter how busy life gets, you are always able to make time to have fun together.
Thank you for stopping by our blog today. We hope you were inspired to check out some new activities or businesses in New Hampshire for your next date night. We utilize this blog as a space to share wedding inspiration, wedding planning resources, farm updates, and as a means of supporting other small, local businesses. Supporting small businesses directly supports the families that own them, the communities they exist in, and the local economy as a whole. In a weekly effort to support small businesses, you will always find other wonderful small businesses, including (but not limited to) wedding venues and vendors linked within our blogs. We hope that you check them out also, read their blogs, and consider the services they have to offer.