If your usual date-night plans feel as tired as the phrase “Netflix and chill,” don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, these 28 fresh ideas put a new spin on romance — from fun, free and easy activities to fancier plans that are worth the splurge.

Whether you’re trying to brainstorm a way to impress your crush or spice things up in a long-term relationship, any could help you bond with your boo.

Unleash your inner child playing pinball at What’s Brewing 138 West Rhapsody, (210) 308-8882, sacoffeeroasters.com You can get caffeinated and let your inner kid out at What’s Brewing’s Roastery and Cafe, which has a rotating selection of pinball machines for you and your date to practice your wizardry. Photo via Instagram / whatsbrewingsa
Explore a nearby small town Going on cute dates around San Antonio is all well and good, don’t get us wrong, but sometimes you just need to get away and experience something new. No matter what your inspiration may be, taking a daytrip outside 1604 will do you and your boo some good. Head up to Fredericksburg to go on a winery tour, or maybe head south to Medina County for some of their market days on the weekend. Think of it as a couples’ retreat without breaking the bank. Photo via Instagram / fredericksburgtexas
Hit up a festival or two (or however many you want) Local and regional festivals are serving a wide variety of interests this year round. From all sorts of food festivals — includint the Current’s United We Brunch — to cultural events like Fiesta, there’s plenty for you and your love to do. And don’t worry, there’s a good mixture of free or cheap events as well as pricey happenings to splurge on. Photo via Instagram / sacurrent
Kayak the San Antonio River Looking for some water-centric entertainment? Mission Kayak (mat-tx.com) provides guided and unguided kayak rentals, and now you can paddle down scenic stretches of the river downtown — both through the River Walk and the King William District. Photo via Instagram / missionadventuretours
Catch a free movie screening courtesy of Slab Cinema Multiple locations, slabcinema.com While you can catch a free movie from various venues and organizations, the traveling outdoor screen from Slab Cinema is definitely the most reliable, often and super fun at that. Slab Cinema’s various offerings around town cover everything form recent blockbusters to arthouse classics, so no matter your tastes you’re bound to have a blast. Don’t forget the blankets or lawn chairs for ultimate comfort. Photo via Instagram / slabcinema
Explore some new local restaurants Tired of always going to the same neighborhood hole in the wall for date night? Expand your culinary horizons, and prepare to be eating good and drinking just as well. Find inspiration here. Photo via Instagram / s.a.foodie
Taste the new flavors at a local brewery Fall is the season of beer, so you’ll be smart to treat you and bae to a few date nights exploring what’s new on tap. Whether new brews or new (to you) drinking spots, this is a solid way to spend quality time with your date without it getting too expensive. Plus, it’s super fun! Photo via Instagram / alamobeerco
Cheer on the Spurs at a home game 1 AT&T Center Parkway, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com While most San Antonians are Spurs fans every day of the year, it’s super smart to be a dedicated fan right at the start of the season. Show your loyalty to the Silver & Black and cheer on the team during early season games without breaking the bank. Photo via Instagram / spurs
Denman Estate Park 7735 Mockingbird Ln, sanantonio.gov Denman Estate Park may very well have one of the most unique features on this list. It features a traditional South Korean pavilion, styled similarly to the Gwangju Democracy Bell in South Korea. Gwangju, South Korea and San Antonio, you may be surprised to learn, are sister cities. Denman Estate Park is a beautiful place to visit, not only for the pavilion, but for the pond and garden as well. Photo via Instagram / rebekahsantoyo
The Ghost Tracks You can’t talk about urban legends in San Antonio without covering the Ghost Tracks. This long-dispelled myth is still a local favorite, and was voted Best Urban Legend in the Current’s Best of San Antonio poll for the past three years running. As the story goes, you can park your car at this spot on the train tracks and get “pushed” forward by some spectral helpers. As a bonus, if you put flour on the back of your trunk, you might even see their little handprints. The push purportedly comes from wee ghosts of children who met an untimely end in the early 1900s when a train rammed into a bus at the location. However, in 2003, archivist Matt De Waelsche traced the story’s origin to a 1938 bus accident in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even worse, the tracks were “exorcised,” if you will, by a construction project. When Union Pacific added a second track to the intersection, they levelled out the elevation, removing the downward slant that vehicles would gently roll down when they were supposedly being “pushed” by the ghosts. Turns out it was just a trick of physics the whole time. Photo via Google Maps
Go ice skating 17530 Henderson Pass, (210) 490-9550, northwoodsice.net There’s lots of aquatic suggestions on this list, but this one is the chilliest. You can ice skate year-round at the Ice & Golf Center at Northwoods in North SA. If you’re up for braving the scorching outdoor temps, there’s also mini golf, or you can stay inside and enjoy the arcade. Credit: Photo via Facebook / Ice & Golf Center at Northwoods
Go to a farmers market SA may not be one of those regions where we do corny shit like pick our own vegetables at a farm, but we’re all about farmers markets. Whether you want to pick up fancy ingredients to make a meal at home later, or just gorge on fresh food and drinks being sold by vendors, there’s plenty to enjoy at farmers markets all over town. If you’re down to battle the crowds, Pearl’s weekend market is as popular as it is for good reason. Photo Courtesy of Pearl Credit: Photo Courtesy of Pearl
Take the plunge and hit up all of the city’s essential dive bars Dive bar, schmive bar. Nothing beats a low key date drinking with your sweetheart as long as you’re having a good time together. Make sure to try one of our favorites and see how it compares to yours. Here’s a few suggestions. Photo via Instagram / thebangbangbar
Take a hike or bike ride Now that it’s not insanely hot outside, you’ll really be able to enjoy nature. Travel by foot or bike, and explore the green spaces SA has to offer. Between city parks, natural areas green belts and nearby state parks, there’s plenty of gorgeous places to take in beautiful scenery either on foot or bicycle. Photo via Instagram / ryanibarra24
Treat yourself to a staycation at Hotel Emma 136 E Grayson St, (210) 448-8300, thehotelemma.com Staycation? Count us in! There’s less planning involved in a staycation, but it isn’t any less special than finding a sitter for the kids or pets and leaving all other responsibilities behind for a few days. A staycation is almost better because there’s an excuse to try the place you’ve always wanted to try, and if there’s a spot that you miss or don’t get to, you don’t have to worry because there will always be other opportunities to visit it. Another option is to stay in and enjoy the beautiful rooms and amenities that Hotel Emma has to offer on its historic grounds. Photo via Instagram / thehotelemma
Search for your favorite albums at Friends of Sound 700 Fredericksburg Road, (210) 971-8044, facebook.com There are few things more nostalgic than flipping through a crate of vinyls, finding the album art for the record you’ve been looking for, taking it home and playing it for the first time in ages. And there’s nothing more romantic than letting the music take you back with your S.O. in your arms. Listening to each others’ music is a great bonding experience for you and bae, whether your tastes are similar or different. Everything sounds better on vinyl anyway, so if you didn’t like it before, you might enjoy it this time around. Photo via Instagram / queenoftacostx
Two-step at Floore’s Country Store 14492 Old Bandera Rd, (210) 695-8827, liveatfloores.com Established back when your grandparents were young and in love, Floore’s Country Store has been around and honkey-tonkin’ since 1942. Feel the love and passion that made this location a south Texas tradition by taking your lovely to dance. Photo via Instagram / floorecountrystore
Reach new heights at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area 16710 Ranch Road 965, Fredericksburg, (830) 685-3636, tpwd.texas.gov You’ll have to register early, but going to Enchanted Rock is absolutely worth the pain of having to plan ahead. C’mon — “enchanted” is literally in the name. It’ll take a little bit of work to get to the top and some good shoes, but once there, you get to look out on the beautiful Texas Hill Country and steal a kiss from your climbing partner. After you’ve climbed to the top, you can get away from the big city for a while longer and wander around this gorgeous oasis. Photo via Instagram / intents_life
Come up with a synchronized routine at The Rollercade 223 Recoleta Road, (210) 826-6361, therollercade.com Or you can just do your best. For a lot of people, even dancing while rolling is a little advanced. That part is cute and all, and coming up with a matching routine is super dorky but also kind of badass if you can pull it off. The real magic, though, is clinging to each other for the first half hour while you remember how to skate. After getting those pheromones circulating and holding onto each other in a not-romantic-at-all sweaty embrace, what you make of the night is up to you, which might include taking your dance to the sheets…ahem, streets. Photo via Instagram / patrick_e
Score some deals at Bussey’s Flea Market 18738 N Interstate 35 Frontage Road, (210) 651-6830, busseysfm.com You literally never know what you’re going to find at Bussey’s Flea Market. It’s located near IH-35 and FM 3009, and admission is about $2. What you pay for beyond that is on you, but there’s no doubt you’ll find something special, strange, or fun to surprise your date with. Better yet, take them with you and have a ball bartering with the stall owners, exploring hidden treasures and scoring a deal. Photo via Instagram / silkfe
Visit a museum or gallery you’ve never been to before Most San Antonians know the more-popular museums and galleries, there’s most likely a few you and your plus one are not as familiar with. Now is the perfect time to explore a museum off the beaten path, or maybe a gallery out of your comfort zone. Not sure where to start? Try Blue Star Contemporary — a house for innovative contemporary art, this nonprofit’s galleries are open to anyone for free, and if you’re lucky, you may get to see one of the venue’s regulars and a true connoisseur of the arts: Duncan, the dog. Photo via Instagram / bluestarartdog
Serenade each other at Dad’s Karaoke 2615 Mossrock, (210) 267-5703, facebook.com Is that two cats mating? No! It’s bae, and they’re doing their best onstage at Dad’s Karaoke. You can make fun of them (but just a little, depending how sober you two are), or you can be their biggest supporter. Smile from the crowd to give them a little encouragement, especially if they’re super into singing but are always too shy to try it in front of people. Even if you two suck, karaoke is a fun date because it shows them that you’ll be cheering them on no matter what. Photo via Instagram / ennaid_22
Be mesmerized by the stars at the Scobee Planetarium 1819 N Main Ave, (210) 486-0100, sacscobee.org Remember that scene in La La Land where Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone ditch the movie they’re watching and they float up to the ceiling of the planetarium and romantically dance in space? Your date, most likely, will be nothing like that. And if it is, we want some of whatever you’re on. That being said, just because your date won’t be as literally surreal as that doesn’t mean that it won’t be magical in its own way. Photo via Google Maps
San Antonio Botanical Garden 555 Funston Pl, (210) 536-1400, sabot.org Not too far from Fort Sam Houston you’ll get to explore the natural beauty of the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The 38-acre scenic oasis is complete with trails, a pond, roses and plenty of native plants that make for a lovely photo backdrop. There’s also a glass conservatory and Rosella at the Garden, an essential stop once you’re done exploring the grounds. You’ll be smart to do just that – explore and appreciate every inch of this beautiful area. Photo via Instagram / pastorbrett
Try your luck (and people-watch) at Bandera Late Night Bingo 5810 Bandera Road, (210) 682-6000, goldenbingofamily.com Get lucky with bae! Hopefully, in more ways than just winning a few rounds — or at least one — of bingo. *wink* Bingo can be a fun dating activity and, since there’s no real skill involved, there’s very little chance that the competition will get too serious. You can even win a bit of prize money, if you’re lucky. Photo via Instagram / ashleysymphony87
Brackenridge Park 3700 N St Mary’s St, (210) 207-7275, brackenridgepark.org San Antonians all love all 343 acres of Brackenridge Park – and visit it for a variety of reasons. The Japanese Tea Garden, the San Antonio Zoo, the Sunken Garden Theater, the Witte Museum and the sprawling green space, including the golf course – there’s seriously so many reasons to visit. Honestly, think about it. We may love Brackenridge for all of its separate parts, but consider it as this whole attraction with so much to offer and you’ll love it all the more. Photo via Instagram / barbarajaylee
Satisfy your dark side and let the Sisters Grimm lead y’all on a ghost tour 204 Alamo Plaza Suite #T, (210) 638-1338, sistersgrimmghosttour.com Get a little freaky with bae…and not in that way! At least, not while you’re on the tour. Sisters Grimm offers haunted history walks, dinner at the Menger Hotel with the haunted history walk, haunted pub crawls and a ghost bus tour. The tour/walk itself will take you through the streets of old San Antonio where your guide will explain the sites of old murders and historic battles. Be advised to wear comfortable shoes because the tour is about a mile and a half long. Photo via Instagram / sistersgrimmtx