29 Simple and Sweet Weekend Date Ideas for 2024

Looking for fun and romantic weekend date ideas? Whether you have been together for years or are just getting to know someone, weekends provide a great opportunity for outings that have your full attention outside the chaotic world of the work week.

Whether you are looking for date ideas in Chicago, date ideas in NYC or unique date ideas near you, we have you covered. Whatever your interests and time frame, we’ve rounded up a few great weekend date ideas to spark your imagination.

Each of these date ideas offers a great chance to get to know someone better or make memories with the one you love, gain new skills and perspectives, and just spend some quality time together out in the world or cozily at home. 

• Creative Weekend Date Ideas
• Foodie Weekend Date Ideas
• Unique Weekend Date Ideas
• DIY Weekend Date Ideas
• Outdoor Weekend Date Ideas

Creative Weekend Date Ideas

1. Do a Paint and Sip 

Paint and sip events offer a perfect way to socialize and create something stunning for your weekend date idea. Whatever the level of your artistic abilities, paint and sip is beginner friendly for artists at all stages, loosening up both creative abilities and the lips with wine or cocktails.

Whether you are looking for paint and sip in Houston, paint and sip in Orange County, paint and sip in NYC or another fun city, you can easily find paint and sip near you.

2. Take a Pottery Class

Another perfect creative weekend date idea is to enroll you and your date in a pottery class. Offered at all levels of skill, pottery classes offer a great chance to take advantage of materials and equipment you don’t normally get to work with.

Whether you are making a bowl or your favorite new mug, something artful or utilitarian, a pottery class gives you a chance to learn a new skill and get to know each other. You can find pottery classes in Boston, pottery classes in Houston, pottery classes in Portland or find great pottery classes near you.

3. Enroll in a Dance Class

A fun and energetic weekend date idea is learning a new dance step. With your partner in tow, learn everything from salsa dancing to ballroom style, or enroll in a fun beginner ballet or jazz class.

Check out dance classes in Las Vegas, dance classes in NYC or dance classes in the Bay Area. You can also find online dance classes to take advantage of a romantic date night at home. 

4. Visit an Art Museum or Gallery

A perfect weekend date idea is a visit to a local art museum or gallery. From the Met to the Art Institute of Chicago, museums and galleries often offer a look at awesome work, but also a chance to talk about it and get to know each other.

You can opt for the grandeur of a local museum or a small intimate gallery and everything in between. Most feature work by local and world-renowned artists. Many galleries and museums also have weekend openings and special events with free admission, offering up wine and hors d'oeuvres.

5. Join in a Karaoke or Open-Mic Night

A great idea for a fun weekend date is a night at a local karaoke spot or open mic. Many bars and cafés offer up entertainment in the form of your choice of favorite songs until the wee hours of the morning with ample cocktails.

Not only is it fun to watch but it's also fun to participate. Your dates' singing abilities and choice of songs offer an interesting chance to see each other’s true colors. If you love acoustic music, spoken word or comedy, an open mic is an excellent alternative. This also makes for a perfect double date idea!

6. Take an Improv Class

While many classes are several-week commitments, many still allow beginners to drop in for single sessions or offer weekend intensives that last a couple of days.

For a fun date idea for teenage couples or any age, try this fun form of comedy, which offers a great chance for meeting others and getting to know your date.

It’s a great ice breaker for first dates and a great activity even if you’ve known each other for years, particularly if you are already good at working as a team. Travel for date ideas in Las Vegas for the weekend or other show-stopping cities.

Foodie Weekend Date Ideas

7. Try a Cooking Class  

A fun weekend date idea is to enroll in a cooking class, where you can learn everything from sushi rolling to pastry making from top chefs. Not only do you get to learn to make new fare for your kitchen, but you get to eat the results when you’re finished, making it a great full-range experience.

You can find great cooking classes wherever you are, including cooking classes in Houston, cooking classes in Washington, D.C. and cooking classes in Portland. Check out cooking classes near you or investigate online cooking classes to participate in whenever you find yourself in the mood for a night in.

8. Mixology Classes

If you are looking to up your cocktail game, a great weekend date idea is enrolling in a mixology class, whether it's in person at your favorite bar or liquor purveyor or one of a number of great online mixology classes available. Courses offer up how to make the perfect mojito or a cozy cup of spiced hot cocoa in the winter months. 

9. Try a Wine Tasting

Wine tastings are an elevated way to enjoy both drinking and learning about the beverage. While a number of eateries, bars and wineries offer wine tastings on the regular, you can also participate in virtual wine tastings from wherever you are. Many are paired with a cooking component to prepare a full dining experience in your home, rounding out a perfect weekend date idea. 

10. Take a Food Tour

Another fun weekend date night is to participate in a local food tour, which gives you a chance to sample various cuisines and menus from restaurants in your own hometown or when traveling. Many are themed by cuisines or neighborhoods, which take you from eatery to eatery for a fun, interactive dining experience. 

11. Have a Baking Contest

A great weekend date idea for couples is to add a little competition to your cooking. Make a fun day of baking competitively. Begin with shopping for ingredients, spend the day in the kitchen and end with enjoying the day’s endeavors. You might also invite a couple of friends or neighbors to judge the competition.

12. Farmers Market Outing

A great weekend date idea for couples is a trip to the local farmers market. Not only can you get exquisite fresh produce and other farm goods, but many markets also include small businesses selling their wares and/or entertainment. Pair it with a morning out for brunch or shop the market and return home to cook a meal with your spoils. 

Unique Weekend Date Ideas

13. Have a Trivia or Board Game Night

Game nights are a great way to not only get to know your date but also to foster a little healthy competition between the two of you (though you might want to reign in the bloodlust a little on the first date according to Metro UK).  

Both trivia and board games make great weekend date ideas and can be found in a number of bars and cafes. You can also host your very own with friends at home. A fun option for far-flung friends is to play one of many online trivia games or virtual game nights.

14. Participate in a Scavenger Hunt

Buoyed by the popularity of apps like Questo, Randonautica and activities like geocaching or letterboxing scavenger hunts are a fun way to spend a weekend day learning about familiar or unfamiliar locations. You can also participate in virtual scavenger hunts that can be a great couple or group activity even just for a night at home. 

15. Experience an Escape Room

Escape rooms are often used as team building activities or group activities, but they can also be fun activities for a weekend date idea. Escape rooms are themed around a number of fun concepts, including zombies, Harry Potter and other interests.

You can also spend the night in some fun virtual escape rooms that allow you to work together (or against each other)!

16. Stay at a Haunted Bed and Breakfast

For a whole weekend stay, a great date idea for couples is to visit a haunted bed and breakfast or hotel, many of which are rich in ghostly lore and spookiness.

Many are also lovely stays even without supernatural activities, offering breakfast buffets and evening entertainments. If the paranormal seems daunting, try a murder mystery alternative. These stays are perfect fall date ideas or Halloween date ideas!

17. Volunteer 

A great weekend date idea is to use your time volunteering for a good cause. Consider helping out at a food kitchen, toy drive or animal shelter, where you will not only get to spend valuable time with your date but also work toward the greater good.

Many social service agencies, charities and churches can point you in the direction of engaging volunteer opportunities in your community. 

18. Engage in Some Childhood Favorites

Pretending you are kids again makes a great weekend date idea. Whether it’s roller skating, arcades or mini-golf, some of these fun, playful activities bring back a sense of youthful spirit and a keen sense of competition.

Follow it up with a stop at an ice cream parlor or candy store to round out the day. A great winter date idea is putting on some ice skates or engaging in a snowball fight.

DIY Weekend Date Ideas

19. Virtual Flower Arranging

Flower arranging classes can be a fun way to exercise your creativity and energize your green thumb. The end result is a beautiful arrangement for your table or counter that is a souvenir of a fun time learning new skills.

If you are staying in for the night, you can also participate in virtual flower arranging classes, which are a great alternative. 

20. Enroll in Craft Classes or Workshops

From woodworking and glass blowing to sewing, craft classes that teach new skills are perfect for a weekend date night wherever you are located and can be found through various park districts and arts centers near you. Not only will you pick up new skills that you can use in a number of contests but also get to create really cool objects you will have forever. 

21. DIY Spa Day

While days at the spa can be costly, there’s no reason you can’t create a spa day or even a whole spa weekend as a great date idea. All it takes is a little prep in terms of masks, products and some massage skills. It’s a great way to spend some time pampering each other. 

22. Make a Scrapbook or Time Capsule

If you’ve been together for a while, a great weekend date idea is making a scrapbook of memories collected from both of you. Photos, ticket stubs and event programs are great filler, as well as artwork and written pieces.

You can also create a time capsule to be opened in the future of all your favorite things and mementos. This is a particularly good date idea for married couples.

23. Do a Thrift Flip

A budget-friendly weekend date idea is to visit a thrift store with the idea of creating something entirely new, whether it’s a fun new clothing creation or rehabbing/transforming a piece of furniture or home décor.

Spend the day or weekend working on your project together and you’ll have a cool new creation to show off at the end. This is a particularly inexpensive, fun date idea for teenage couples.

24. Create a Photo Booth

A fun weekend date idea is to make a photo booth in your very own home. Choose a theme like Hollywood 1940s or 1920s speakeasies and gather your props, costumes and backdrops.

Use your phone or a vintage camera to take shots. They are great for posting on social media or, when printed, as a keepsake of your adventures. 

Outdoor Weekend Date Ideas

25. Have a Picnic

An outdoorsy weekend date idea is to haul out that picnic basket, pack it with tasty fare and head out to a local park, forest preserve or waterfront for a picnic.

It can be as formal or informal as you’re feeling, with options from easy sandwiches and snacks to more elaborate dishes that travel well. Consider a breakfast picnic with pastries before other weekend activities or an afternoon hike for a meal in a romantic secluded spot.

26. Go Apple or Berry Picking

Many orchards and farms offer picking adventures to get the freshest fruit right off the tree or vine, making it a productive weekend date idea. Not only do you get to spend some quality time with your date outdoors but also get to go home with a bushel of apples or berries for snacks or cooking ventures.

27. Spend a Night Stargazing

A night under the stars is a perfect way to spend time with your date. Barring cloudy nights, weekends are an ideal time to spend late nights outside, whether you’re in some prime local stargazing spot or your own yard.

You can impress your date by doing some research on stars and celestial matter, including constellation identification and the myths behind them. 

28. Go to a Drive-in Movie

An entertaining weekend date night idea is to visit one of a number of retro drive-in theaters. While definitely a throwback to an older era, modern drive-ins feature much better sound and visual technology than their last-century counterparts, many running new releases or old classics.

You can also set up an at-home experience with any blank white surface (the side of your house or a strung-up sheet) and a portable projector. Add popcorn and other snacks and make it a double feature. 

29. Make a Campfire

Wherever you are, a campfire is a cozy and romantic weekend date idea and a cozy way to spend the evening, even if it's one in your own yard. Set up a fire pit, make some s’mores and hot cocoa and spend the night telling each other your favorite ghost stories. 

These fun and engaging date nights are simple to plan and fun to do, many with a budget-conscious price point and minimal preparation. They all offer great opportunities for spending time with your love interest and learning more about (or affirming) how well you match up.

Whether you want to kindle the spirit of adventure or competition or spend a relaxing time learning new things, fun weekend dates are a perfect place to start.

For even more fun date ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!