instead of dinner

7 off-beat Valentine’s Day date ideas for couples in Houston

From the weight of expectations to dashed engagement dreams, Valentine’s Day can lose its luster long after the flush of receiving folded, cartoon-covered Valentines from our Kindergarten classmates. If you’re considering calling it quits instead of braving one of Houston’s fine dining establishments this Valentine’s Day, don’t give up just yet. From floating in salt-saturated pools to belting out tunes under the stars, here are seven unique ways to celebrate love in Houston.

Photo courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge

Great Wolf Lodge in Webster is hosting an adults-only Valentine's Day event that includes a 30-minute lazy river float with champagne and dessert.

Altered States Wellness: Ultimate Date Night
For a more relaxing Valentine’s Day that focuses on health rather than chocolate, consider Altered States Wellness’ Ultimate Date Night. The date begins with a private float therapy session, where couples relax side-by-side in salt-saturated water, said to help reduce stress and anxiety. After, couples can enjoy charcuterie and champagne with other romantic notes in a private themed lounge. The Ultimate Date Night starts at $370, with add-ons available, including a Galentine’s package for four people at $600. Altered States Wellness is located in Vintage Park, and is open daily from 10 am-8 pm.

Botonica: L’amour Noir Pop-Up
An ode to Paris’ famed Moulin Rouge, L’amour Noir is a more intimate experience than Botonica’s other seasonal pop-ups such as the Cursed Cauldron, limited to only the 35-seat upstairs bar. Alas, Ewan McGregor will not be serenading Nicole Kidman in this version of Moulin Rouge, but attendees will be treated to a variety performance on Valentine’s Day featuring cabaret, drag, and boylesque. Tickets are $45 each and include a welcome cocktail. Doors open at 9 pm for the V-Day performance, with the show beginning at 9:30 pm. L’Amour Noir is February 6-21 at Botonica.

Great Wolf Lodge: Romance on the River
The kids may sulk, but only the parents can soak at the Great Wolf Lodge’s Romance on the River on February 14. This is the indoor water park resort’s first foray into an adults-only luxury dining experience, with the one-night only offer of a five-course lobster dinner and wine pairing in a private cabana. Dessert and champagne is enjoyed while floating in a double-tube around the resort’s lazy river filled with rose petals and floating candles and at a balmy 84 degrees. Romance on the River is $300 per couple, $400 with wine pairings.

Houston Museum of Natural Science: Atoms and Attractions
It’s easy to find a fellow nerd to fall in love with at the Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Atoms and Attractions party. Slip on a red, yellow, or green bracelet to indicate your relationship status before exploring all there is to offer, including a dance floor with DJs, karaoke in the planetarium, and “Pride and Prejudice" on a loop in the theatre. Nothing says “I love you” like strolling amidst dinosaur bones with a themed cocktail in hand. The Atoms and Attractions event is Friday, February 13, from 7-11 pm. Tickets are $30 for members and $35 for the public.

POST: Valentine’s Market for Makers
Get crafty with your crush at POST during the Valentine’s Market for Makers. The two-day event brings together more than 100 vendors to peruse, with free photo ops and food and drink for purchase. Patrons can stretch their imagination at the DIY station by creating a handmade keepsake. This is a Valentine's activity for the whole family, with free entry for kids under 12. After all that shopping, why not make a true commitment to everlasting love and stop by the BARC adoption event also held that Saturday at POST. The Valentine’s Market for Makers is February 14-15 from 11 am-5 pm, with tickets ranging from $6-$20.

Velocity Sim Lounge
Make your beloved passenger princess’ heart flutter with a stint at Velocity - Sim Racing Lounge. Velocity’s new two-person simulator lets one lover in the driver’s seat while the other rides shotgun, with the choice to switch spots. The Sawyer Yards racing spot has two deals for lovebirds: Speed Date ($99) consists of a 30-minute simulator race, two drink tickets, and two entrees, while the Double Date ($135) extends the exhilaration to a full hour in the driver’s seat. The specials run February 13-16, and Velocity - Sim Racing Lounge is open Friday from 12 pm - 12 am, Saturday-Sunday from 11 am-12 am, and Monday from 2-11 pm.

Meow Wolf Radio Tave: GRAFFITI with GONZO
Couples that learn together, stay together — especially if that something is as cool as the art of graffiti. On Valentine’s Day weekend, Meow Wolf guests can participate in a 90-minute, hands-on graffiti session with Houston artist Mario Enrique Figueroa, Jr., aka GONZO247. Tickets are available for couples ($222) and singles ($114), and include Meow Wolf admission, the workshop, materials, two drinks per person, and light bites. GRAFFITI with GONZO is Thursday, February 13, and Friday, February 14, from 3- 6 pm.

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Movie Review

Pop star Charli XCX seizes 'The Moment' in new mockumentary

Photo courtesy of A24

Charli XCX in The Moment.

There have been plenty of music documentaries and biopics that show how the life of a music star can be a trying one, with fans, record label executives, and hangers-on all wanting a piece of a certain singer or band. Charli XCX knows the pressures as well as anyone thanks to back-to-back hit albums, but instead of addressing her life with a self-aggrandizing promo film, she’s gone the unexpected route with the mockumentary, The Moment.

The singer plays a fictionalized version of herself who’s coming off of “Brat Summer,” a cultural phenomenon that followed the release of her 2024 album, Brat. In addition to a planned tour, she and her team are trying to come up with other ways to capitalize on the moment, ideas that sometimes include her input and sometimes don’t. The one that becomes the driving force of the story is a concert film that will be directed by the in-demand filmmaker Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård).

Even though Charli XCX had already planned out the visuals, props, and other elements of the tour with good friend Celeste (Hailey Gates), Johannes slowly but surely pushes his ideas to be used instead. As that part of her life starts to slip from her grasp, she starts to lose it in general, agreeing to endorse a Brat-themed credit card, taking an ill-advised spa trip to Ibiza, and more.

Written and directed by Aidan Zamiri (who’s directed two Charli XCX music videos) and co-written by Bertie Brandes, the film should in no way, shape, or form be interpreted as giving viewers an accurate idea of who the singer really is. Aside from the presence of well-known actors like Skarsgård and Rosanna Arquette and comedic actors like Kate Berlant and Jamie Demetriou, everything in the film is heightened sufficiently to understand it shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Still, it’s clear that fans of Charli XCX or those who participated in Brat Summer will be more invested in the film than others. Knowing that Rachel Sennott’s cameo likely stems from their friendship following Charli XCX doing the score for Sennott’s film, Bottoms, or that she enjoyed early fame from the inclusion of her song, “Boom Clap,” in “a movie about two kids with cancer,” as her character puts it, adds some depth to the film.

One of the funniest things about the film is the lack of a showcase of Charli XCX’s music. She doesn’t sing a single note in the entire film, and any songs of hers that are heard are incidental to the story. There is, however, a ton of oppressive flashing titles and frenetic imagery during the various transitions in the film. If you are even slightly affected by rapid lights and/or movement, it might be best to avoid the film entirely.

As George Clooney can attest from Jay Kelly, it’s more difficult to play a version of yourself than you might think, and Charli XCX deserves credit for playing into rumors of her “bitchiness” in this film. Upcoming roles in other films will prove whether she’s truly a good actress or not, but she has a presence that serves this movie well. Skarsgård, who seems to be having a moment of his own in the real world, is the clear winner for best supporting actor of the film, scoring in almost every scene he’s in.

The Moment may not be as effective a mockumentary as something like This is Spinal Tap, but it still has enough memorable moments to make it worth seeing for both fans and non-fans alike. If that’s not enough Charli XCX for you, she’s also created the soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, which will be in theaters on February 13.

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The Moment opens wide in theaters on February 6.

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