Love it or loathe it, Valentine’s Day is coming. And these days, it’s about more than romance. Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or simply looking for something different to do, Rochester has plenty to offer on and around Feb. 14.
Galentine’s Day Sip & Shop
Janine Caschette, owner of Avvino restaurant in Brighton, smiles when she talks about the “big, festive party” she and her business partner, Kendra Whirley, host to celebrate female friendships.
Now in its third year, the Galentine’s Day Sip & Shop is all about building community. “It’s just a really fun celebration—to acknowledge the strong bonds we have with our female friends, mothers, daughters, sisters, co-workers,” Caschette says.
Caschette, who opened the restaurant 13 years ago, throws the Galentine’s event at her restaurants La Bola and Frenchmen Street at The Mercantile on Main. More than three dozen women-owned businesses will have everything from clothing to jewelry to self-care products to candles for sale. There will also be raffles, including one to benefit Open Door Mission, and a DJ. The nonprofit Cleft Rescue Unit, which helps dogs born with cleft palates, will have a puppy kissing booth, too.
Galentine’s Day Sip & Shop will be Saturday, Feb. 7, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. To register, call 585.434.0044 or email labolarochester@gmail.com.
Dinner Under the Stars
Rochester Museum and Science Center’s (RMSC) Valentine’s Dinner Under the Stars is back again this year. The event, which began in 2022, has become so high in demand, it expanded to two nights last year.
The evening kicks off with a cocktail hour with an open bar and passed hors d'oeuvres. Guests can eat dinner at a sweetheart table inside the Strasenburgh Planetarium, followed by a presentation adapted from The Sky Tonight. “I had a guest on a waitlist about three years ago. They’ve come back every year since,” says Dan Kalin, senior manager of events and hospitality.
Dinner is a prix-fixe meal, but RMSC can accommodate dietary needs and restrictions. Plus, while the guests are predominantly couples, the event is open to anyone over 21. “The tone is very positive, and it’s more of a stress-free night,” Kalin says. “You aren’t feeling rushed. You don’t have people waiting for your table.”
Dinner Under the Stars will be Thursday, Feb. 12 and Friday, Feb. 13, 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit: rmsc.org/events/valentines-dinner-2026.
Silent Disco
Whether you’re flying solo, with a significant other, or with a group, if you love to dance, check out SE2 Silent Disco.
Here’s how it works: Guests receive a pair of headphones that can be tuned to different channels. On Valentine’s Day, the choices will be Top 40/throwbacks, hip-hop/R&B, and electronic music. Silent discos “are a party you can control,” explains John Darnell, operations manager of SE2 Silent Disco.
Guests receive a glowstick wristband when they arrive, with green representing singles, yellow meaning “it’s complicated,” and red meaning the wearer is taken. “We’re just trying to cater to everybody,” Darnell says.
With SE2 hosting 75 events every year, Darnell says it’s not unusual for first-timers to quickly become hardcore fans. In fact, some people go to every event. “People go through a lot in their day-to-day life, and we’re sort of a reprieve,” he says.
The Valentine’s Day Silent Disco will be Saturday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m.–12 a.m. For more information, visit: https://se2.events/events.
Book Lover’s Bash
Two of Kelley Murtha’s loves are reading and animal rescue. As founder and president of Ridge’s Rescue, she has combined her two passions to create a used book sale fundraiser. “It’s a huge event that raises a lot of money for us,” she says.
This year, the rescue is hosting a Valentine’s Day-themed sale at Marshall Street Bar & Grill, with raffles benefiting Ridge’s Rescue, named for one of the first dogs Murtha rescued and worked closely with. The event also includes a “blind date with a book,” where titles are wrapped and labeled only with a brief description.
The Book Lover’s Bash will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, 12–5 p.m. For more information, visit: https://www.ridgesrescue.com/events/book-fair
PULL QUOTE (20 words): "It’s just a really fun celebration—to acknowledge the strong bonds we have with our female friends, mothers, daughters, sisters, co-workers.”