It’s that time of year: there are flowers, pink and red hearts, chocolate and greeting cards everywhere. It’s Valentine’s Day, and in the Flathead that means live music, dinner and gatherings of all kinds.
If you still don’t have plans for the auspicious occasion, there are plenty of events happening on and around Feb. 14 to consider. Activities range from concerts and dinners to parties for teenagers who aren’t quite into the romantic side of the holiday.
If the idea of kicking back with a live jazz show sounds like the right tenor for the evening, check out the The Boat Club at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which will be hosting a romantic dance band from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The evening will feature Billy Wallace, a Denver pianist who learned jazz in Chicago and on 52nd Street in New York City; Chuck Florence, a tenor saxophonist whose career includes performances with Buddy DeFranco, Joe Williams and the Glenn Miller Band; local favorite Don Caverly on the bass; and Miriam Singer, a local jazz singer who studied the arts in Seattle, on vocals.
For reservations, call The Boat Club at 863-4040.
Whitefish will also feature various live music events downtown, including a double-header show at Crush Wine Bar, featuring open mic from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and singer Shyamali from 11:30 p.m. to close.
For a full listing of live music events, check out www.flatheadevents.net.
If a bit of philanthropy sounds more like the Valentine’s Day for you, consider the Glacier Unitarian Universalist Fellowship’s third annual “Standing on the Side of Love” benefit dinner and open mic.
This year’s benefit will help out Kelsey Timothy, a Whitefish woman who is battling brain cancer. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will include a spaghetti dinner and entertainment. There is a suggested donation of $5 per person, or $20 per family.
To sign up for the open mic, which in previous years has included music, storytelling and even juggling, contact Teri Vore at [email protected] or 471-3010.
For those teens who find the whole idea of Valentine’s Day overblown but wouldn’t mind going out for a little while anyway, the Flathead County Library is hosting its fifth annual Anti-Valentine’s Day Party at the Main Library in Kalispell.
Hosted in the basement meeting room from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., anyone from grade six through 12 is invited to gather together for this free event and laugh about the holiday with fun activities. There will be plenty of treats – ranging from chocolate to garlic-based foods – as well as supplies to make crafts such as anti-Valentines.
There will also be prizes, and the Wii will be set up on the big screen. The library also notes that teens in love may also attend.
For more information, contact Youth Services Librarian Martha Furman at 758-5713 or [email protected].
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The Lighthouse Christian Home hosts its annual fundraiser on Feb. 16. | Courtesy photo |
If the perfect Valentine’s Day present still eludes you, be sure to check out Bigfork. Many of the businesses in the village will be offering specials and discounts during the week, and a Bigfork Gift Certificate is good at many of the shops and restaurants. For more information, visit www.bigfork.org.
And though it doesn’t occur on Feb. 14, the Lighthouse Christian Home’s largest fundraiser of the year is “Come Light Up Your Hearts,” a Valentine’s themed swing dance and auction taking place on Feb. 16.
The evening benefits the Lighthouse Christian Home, a nonprofit residence for adults with intellectual disabilities.
There are plenty of reasons to attend the evening, including swing dancing to big band music, as well as live and silent auctions and a dessert buffet. Some of the most popular auctions include the pie auction and the treasure chest auction, in which participants compete for the keys to open the chest and reveal an outstanding prize.
Live auction items will include a hunting trip to Africa, gourmet dinner parties, lunch with Jack Hanna and his wife, boat rides, a weekend getaway at Flathead Lake Lodge, a kayak, and an event titled “a child’s dream come true.”
Silent auction items will include floral arrangements, gravel for driveways, archery and sporting packages, hotel and dining packages and more.
Tickets for the evening are $30 in advance and $200 for a table of eight. They can be purchased at Bigfork Drug; Southside Consignment and Snappy Sport Senter in Kalispell; Glacier Bank and McGough & Co. in Whitefish; or by calling Lighthouse Christian Home at 857-3276.