When most people think of spending the holidays in Williamsburg, they think of Thanksgiving and Christmas. But Williamsburg also has a lot to offer the romantic traveler on Valentine’s Day. It’s an especially tempting destination if you’re looking for romantic dining, and there are also Valentine’s Day events in nearby Richmond and Virginia Beach.
Fine Dining
Colonial Williamsburg’s premier hotels, the Williamsburg Lodge and the Williamsburg Inn, both offer special Valentine’s Day menus for the entire weekend of Feb. 12-Feb. 14. The Regency Room at the Inn is the fanciest of Colonial Williamsburg’s offerings, and their distinctive three-course Valentine’s Day dinner ranges from seafood to beef and lamb and concludes with baked Alaska with marinated strawberries and mocha fudge sauce.
The Lodge has two different Valentine’s Day weekend offerings: a seafood buffet and a dinner menu called “Wit, Wine & Wisdom”. It focuses on wines, meats, and cheeses produced in Virginia, with the specific pairings of wine and food chosen by chef Keith Nickerson and sommelier Charles Burr. The menu lists the food but not the wines, adding an element of surprise to the experience.
Also offering special menus for the entire weekend are Opus 9 Steakhouse, with a focus on prime rib and veal, and Berret’s, specializing in seafood.
Chocolate Camp
For couples looking to incorporate chocolate into their romantic getaway, Virginia’s Finest Chocolates offers an Adult Chocolate Camp on Feb. 11. As the name suggests, it’s only open to those 21 and older, and combines lessons in making chocolate with tastings (in combination with food and wine). Reservation information is available on the Virginia’s Finest Chocolates web site.
Richmond: Civil War Themed Events
While the Civil War isn’t the first thing that comes to mind in association with Valentine’s Day, it is a major component of tourism in the South. Richmond, an hour’s drive from Williamsburg, was the capital of the Confederacy, so it’s no surprise there are some Civil War-themed events for Valentine’s Day there.
The Colony Club offers a Civil War wedding re-enactment combined with a Valentine’s Day dinner. The wedding is based on the real-life nuptials of John Redman Coxe Lewis and Maria Bradfute Freeland. The wedding itself is followed by a three-course dinner.
Nearby Shirley Plantation, in Charles City County, has a distinctive event as well: a Civil War romance book singing. Author Jessica James will sign copies of her novel Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia from 12 noon-3 PM.
Virginia Beach: Motown Concert
The music of Motown has always been associated with romance, and a Valentine’s Day concert in Virginia Beach, an hour to the east of Williamsburg, offers performances from two legendary Motown groups. The Temptations and The Four Tops will perform their classic hits at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, and the venue offers a special package with a dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
If none of these events interest you, Valentine’s Day is still an ideal time to tour Colonial Williamsburg itself. It’s a relatively quiet time of year, prior to the arrival of large numbers of school groups in spring and the summer crowds. That alone makes it a suitable destination for a romantic getaway.
Paul Brown - Paul Ferrell Brown graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1994 with a B.A. in English literature, and completed his M.A. in ...
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