Four Valentine’s Day events (in Queens!) to impress your date

Vibrant streamers cascade from the ceiling at the New York Hall of Science in Corona. Eagle photo by Katie Finkowski.

By Victoria Merlino

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and if you’re like us, that means one thing: last minute scrambling to impress your sweetheart with a date night that seems like you’ve planned it more than a couple days (or hours, yikes!) in advance. 

Though restaurants and bars are sure to be a safe bet, why not take a chance and do something a little more creative? Put the chocolate and flowers away: here are some of our top choices to inject a little romance into your life, Queens style. 

For the literary lover:

The King Manor Museum will host a no-kids-allowed crafting session in honor of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 8, where participants can quilt, weave, knit and so on. The literary twist? Participants will also be able to volunteer to read aloud Jane Austen’s 1817 novel “Persuasion” in 15-minute sessions for the group. Grab some knitting needles, sit back and listen to an Austen tale of romance, class and status. The event is free, and will occur from noon to 5 p.m. at the museum, inside Rufus King Park in Jamaica. 

For the film buff:

Sure, going to a movie theater is a fine date. But what about going inside of a movie? Lucky for you, Valentine’s is happening on a Friday — the day of the week the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria hosts its free admission night. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., journey into the mind of master puppeteer Jim Henson, take a look behind the camera, or see how movie stars get their makeup done.

For the transit nerd:

The Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning will debut “The Transit Series,” a new exhibition of paintings by Queens-based artist John Smith, on Feb. 14. The free artist reception will occur from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

"As an artist, I want to be able to communicate my daily experiences of people that I see and our environments,” Smith said in a statement on JCAL’s website. “One-fourth of my waking hours are on public transportation. Because of this, I’ve spent a lot of time observing the subway and bus subcultures. It’s a microcosm of society: expressions of hardships, family unity, loneliness, education, entertainment, violence, and criminal activity, and marketing. Even when we don’t want to, we are forced to interact with one another."

For the adventurous:

Are you ready for The Talk? The New York Hall of Science in Corona will host “NYSCI After Dark: Science of Sex” on Feb. 13, bringing together sex educators, authors, inventors and the  curious for a night of conversation, speed networking with other guests, questions and fun. The event will occur from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and costs $15 to register.