Alternative Valentine’s Day Events in Los Angeles

Inspired by Charles and Ray Eames own tradition of picnics, guests will gather in the Eames House Meadow for a gourmet lunch catered by Canyon Grocer. Dine while ingesting the view of the Pacific and take some time to explore Charles and Ray's onsite studio. Tickets are available for 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. on Valentine's Day. 

Give the gift of sweet donuts to someone you love cherry much! California Donuts is featuring a Valentine's Box Set with six holiday donuts iced in pastel pinks and blues and sprinkled with candied hearts. 

California Donuts is also offering a DIY Valentine's Decorating Kit with 8 heart-shaped donuts (also with pink dough), 3 icings in dip containers (vanilla, pink strawberry, hot pink strawberry), Valentine's sprinkles mix and an assortment of holiday toppers.

Pre-order at the California Donuts website between February 7 and February 15.

"Love is in the air" with Orbic Air, which is offering unforgettable Valentine's Day special through February 14. Take the Coastline, LA Live or LA Live at Night tour for $250 per person. 

The California Coastline tour heads over the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory and other iconic sights before veering towards the beaches, from Marina del Rey and Pacific Palisades. Scheduling your tour right before sunset is recommended. Meanwhile, the LA Live and LA Live at Night tours give two very different views of the city as you travel between Hollywood and downtown. 

From melodramas to arthouse flicks, the Academy Museum pulls from its vast collection of movie trailers for a retro Valentine’s Day screening. Many of the trailers have not been seen since their original release and all will be screened on 35 mm. Bring your favorite cinephile.

For fans of vintage cinema, make a date to head to the Egyptian Theatre for the Nitrate Festival happening between February 13 and 22. The series of rarely screened prints begins with Humphrey Bogart in 1940s noir flick Dead Reckoning, while The Good Fairy and My Man Godfrey supply the Valentine's Day laughs. Check American Cinematheque's website for the schedule and tickets. 

Saskia Wilson-Brown, founder of the Institute of Art and Olfaction, presents a three-part lecture series, Scent in Culture, at Philosophical Research Society, which begins on Valentine's Day with the subject, "Seduction." Learn about the how perfume and seduction have intertwined through history in a 45-minute talk that include time to take a whiff of aromatics like honey, jasmine and leather. 

For Valentine's Day, Gloria Molina Grand Park will be sending Love Notes to LA this Valentine's Day with a free, family-friendly community picnic that will include DJs Lee Set and Devil One spinning oldies and making dedications throughout the afternoon and early evening. On site activities include live screen-printing, Valentine's Day card and bouquet stations, plus a classic car display from Viejitos SGV. Stick around after dark to catch the drone light show finale. 

Start off Valentine's Day weekend with a Rhondavous at Catch One on Friday, February 13. The lineup for this special holiday event from L.A. nightlife faves RhondaINTL hasn’t ben released yet, but there will be 15 DJs playing across five rooms at the history Los Angeles nightclub.

For art lovers, Getty Center has a letter and postcard workshop scheduled for Valentine's Day. "XOXO, The Guerrilla Girls" is inspired by the correspondence practice of the anonymous art collective, whose work you can see in the current exhibition, How to Be a Guerrilla Girl, and is free to attend with museum entry. 

It's all about love at Alamo Drafthouse this February with Emerald Fennell's new adaptation of Wuthering Heights beginning its run at the DTLA theater on February 12, plus screenings like My Best Friend's Wedding (Feb. 8) and Titanic (Feb. 22). Between February 10 and 15, you'll be able to order from the XOXO, Alamo menu, which features themed food and drinks like the Tropical Temptation Popcorn and I Love You a Latte cocktail. 

For a quick, Valentine's Day getaway, try one of Maverick Helicopters' aerial tours. The Hollywood & Beyond tour, which departs from Santa Monica Airport, is a half-hour jaunt above the city, giving you a bird's eye view of Venice Beach, Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Sign and more sights. If you're already planning a Catalina day trip, try the Catalina Explorer for a 20-minute trip above the island for a unique view of the island's landmarks and natural beauty.