13 ways to spend Valentine's Day in Indianapolis

Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read

Indianapolis is serving up plenty of Valentine's Day activities in 2023 to match your mood, whether you want to celebrate on the day itself next Tuesday or on the weekend before or after.

Are you seeking romantic music? Concerts of classic love songs will reach back to Motown, and a Grammy winner is delivering R&B.

How about a roll-up-your-sleeves art activity? Sure, you and yours can make something to bring home.

Or what about a good old-fashioned dinner and dance party? A returning tradition from the 1920s will make that happen.

And if you just aren't into the warm and fuzzy, then by all means embrace that. The Museum of Broken Relationships Indianapolis and a Wong Kar-Wai movie about spouses who suspect cheating might meet your feelings where they are.

Here are concerts, plays, sketch comedy, poetry readings and more that are occurring over the next few weeks. Many events require registration in advance, so check before you head out.

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Romantic concerts

  • Feb. 10-11: The Doo Wop Project. Jack Everly conducts hits performed by Broadway stars from "Jersey Boys" and "Motown: The Musical" and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Hilbert Circle Theatre, 45 Monument Circle. $18-$108. indianapolissymphony.org

  • 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11: Masterworks 3. The Carmel Symphony Orchestra will host an evening of love-inspired pieces, from Wagner and Tchaikovsky to more contemporary music. The Harlem Quartet will join the CSO for an arrangement of Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" score. The Palladium, 1 Carter Green in Carmel. Tickets start at $25. thecenterpresents.org

  • 7 p.m. Feb. 14: Soul II Soul. Grammy winner Ledisi will join fellow singer-songwriter Kem for an evening of soul and R&B at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Musiq Soulchild will open the night. Indiana Farmers Coliseum, 1202 E. 38th St. Tickets start at $64. indianastatefair.com/events/2023/soul-ii-soul

  • 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 14: Songs for Lovers. Local singer Rebecca Rafla will perform two sets of pop, soul and bossa nova with accompaniment from Indy staples Rob Dixon, Kenny Phelps, Jesse Wittman and Steven Jones. The Jazz Kitchen, 5377 N College Ave. $20. thejazzkitchen.com

  • 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18: "One Voice: The Music of Manilow." Actors Theatre of Indiana's Don Farrell will sing the Barry Manilow classics. The Studio Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts, 4 Carter Green in Carmel. $45. thecenterpresents.org

See an art exhibit and make your own work

  • 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Feb. 14: "A Fair of the Heart: Museum of Broken Relationships Indianapolis." Journal to reflect on your relationships, participate in activities and visit the Herron Galleries exhibit that shares stories of love and loss through symbolic possessions. Exhibit open through April 22. Eskenazi Hall at IUPUI, 735 W. New York St. Free. herron.iupui.edu/mbr

  • Make It Take It. The Indianapolis Art Center classes on welding, caricature drawing, wheel throwing, Raku ceramics and more aren't just in February, but they do make a great date night. 820 E. 67th St. Prices vary by class. indyartcenter.org/miti

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Dance together — or watch the pros

  • 6 p.m. Feb. 14: Valentine's Day Dinner and Dance. The tradition, which ran from the 1920s to the 1960s, is returning with a three-course dinner and live music by the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra. Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 W. Washington St. $75 per person. bit.ly/3wXMN0z

  • Feb. 17-19: "Love Springs Eternal." Indianapolis Ballet's program will be wrapped around romance. The Toby at Newfields, 4000 N. Michigan Road. $35-$55. indyballet.org

Movies, plays and more about love

  • Feb. 10-11. "Indiana Night Live: A Sketch Comedy Show." Comedian Gwen Sunkel will host a Valentine's Day edition of original sketches, live music and comedy. The District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave. $20. indydistricttheatre.org

  • 7 p.m. Feb. 11: "Hoosier (H)Arts." Hear a live reading of Civil War love letters between Benjamin Harrison and Caroline Scott Harrison, poetry by Black poets and more in this Candlelight Theatre event. Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 N. Delaware St. $24.95 public, $19.95 members. bhpsite.org

  • Feb. 14-15: Wong Kar-Wai's "In the Mood for Love." Two neighbors form a strong bond after suspecting their spouses of cheating. Kan-Kan Cinema & Brasserie, 1258 Windsor St. $11. kankanindy.com

  • Feb. 16-March 5: "Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles." A woman worries she'll lose her husband and child in the contemporary telling of the ancient story that deals with immigration and cultural assimilation. Indianapolis Shakespeare Co. at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Center, 705 N. Illinois St. $25-$35. phoenixtheatre.org

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Valentine's Day Indianapolis 2023: 13 things to do near me