Valentine's Events in Columbia: Where the City’s Actually Going Out This Year

If you’re trying to figure out what to actually do for Valentine’s Day in Columbia, look at where people are already heading: this week’s Valentine’s events in Columbia have more than two thousand people circling or committed, and the energy is less ‘perfect couple photo’ and more ‘let’s go do something fun together.’ The scene is scattered in a good way — HOPS & SHOPS: Feb. 8th Market and the Valentine’s Day Open House are pulling in the planners and low-pressure daters who’d rather wander, browse, and drink than sit through a scripted prix fixe. SOLD OUT | Night to Shine 2026 | Columbia, SC is your sign that big, feel-good, community events are where a lot of hearts actually are this year, while the Gary Conrad Valentines show @Skyline leans into that shared-experience date where you can laugh, watch something, and avoid staring at each other over a too-formal meal. If you’re hunting for properly romantic things to do in Columbia, A Taste of Desire: Five Courses of Temptation Valentines Dinner is the move for couples who like the whole ritual — reservations, multiple courses, a night that feels intentional. On the other end of the spectrum, the 4th Annual Emo Prom @ Bang Back is for the ‘we’re not doing traditional Valentine’s’ crowd: more cathartic sing-along and inside jokes than candlelit romance, which is exactly the point. Spots like 100 Lee Street in West Columbia, 741 Saluda Ave in Five Points, and Savage Craft Ale Works are where these nights are actually playing out — casual, social, and very much in the flow of the city. If you’re on a first date, follow the crowds to markets, open houses, or brewery nights so you have built‑in conversation; if you’re deep into a relationship, commit to the full dinner or a show and make it feel like a real occasion. And if you’re allergic to hearts and flowers but still want to be out, lean into the live shows and throwback parties — the kind of things to do for Valentine’s Day in Columbia that feel more like a story you’ll tell later than a box you’re ticking.