It’s February in the Northeast, which means short days and a lack of outdoor activities until the spring thaw. But the persistent chill isn’t the only thing in the air; love is there as well. Falling squarely in the middle of the month, Valentine’s Day is the most popular, yet obvious, date night of the year. Bookending that day in February are equally date-worthy afternoons and evenings for lovers looking to enjoy Berks County’s ever-growing options while waiting for the growing season to return. With that in mind, here are some suggested date night itineraries for arts enthusiasts, sports fans and romantics.
For the Arts Enthusiasts: Home Is Where the Art Is
The arts are thriving in Berks, nowhere more so than West Reading and the first few adjacent blocks of downtown Reading. This date night itinerary encompasses outdoor public art, an indoor collection and some hands-on fun.
Photos Courtesy Michael L. Miller
Dean’s Way
West Reading Mural Walk
Few people have been more synonymous with revitalization in Berks County than the late Dean Rohrbach. Serving as West Reading Elm Street Manager from 2007-2018, Rohrbach saw public art as a key tool in his revitalization arsenal, and he wanted local students to be involved in it.
At the time, Michael L. Miller was an art educator at Wyomissing High School. Also inspired by public murals, he found a kindred spirit in Rohrbach.
In 2010, the first group of public murals debuted on Kline Street, running between Second and Third avenues. The success of that inspired another batch on Cherry Street between Fourth and Seventh avenues.
“In about five years we put together close to 30 murals on that three-block corridor,” Miller says.
Some pieces were collaboratively made by the students and community groups. Others were made by individual artists. Each piece has a nameplate that identifies the artist(s) and a QR code allowing viewers to learn more about the pieces and see photographs of the works being made.
There is no particular order in which to view the works, says Miller, who teaches art and art history at Albright College while continuing to coordinate public art projects. If you would like a guided tour, contact him at berkscommunitymurals.com.
Photo courtesy GoggleWorks Center for the Arts
GoggleWorks Center for the Arts
201 Washington St., Reading
Housed in the former Willson Goggle Factory building that inspired its name, GoggleWorks is nearing 20 years of “transforming lives through unique interactions with art.”
During a visit to the sprawling complex, you could stroll through several exhibition galleries, view an independent film at the Boscov Film Theatre, watch studio artists in action in their rented spaces on the second and third floors and purchase handcrafted works made on the premises or in the region at the New Store. You could even try your hands at some classes and workshops — if you want to take your date to the next level by recreating the pottery scene from Ghost during a ceramics workshop, nothing is stopping you. Well, other than the instructor, probably.
Photos courtesy Reading Public Museum
Reading Public Museum
500 Museum Rd., West Reading
Founded in 1904, and in its current location for nearly 100 years, this landmark offers a healthy mix of permanent and temporary exhibits. Its campus also includes a 25-acre Arboretum, the Neag Planetarium and a sculpture garden.
According to Scott Schweigert, the museum’s curator of art and civilization, the top permanent pieces to view in the museum include The Laundress by Edgar Degas, The Balloon by Julien Dupré and Man Reading by American artist John Singer Sargent. And don’t miss the Keith Haring pieces and the Ptolemaic-period Egyptian mummy Nefrina, which includes a hologram telling her story.
Temporary exhibits available for viewing this month include Nature All Around Us, which focuses on ecosystems in our own backyards, and Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement, a traveling photography exhibit.
Schweigert suggests budgeting a few hours for a visit with some additional time for a romantic stroll if the weather is nice.
“Generally, our visitors can explore the main museum in an hour or two, but try to leave time for a walk through the Arboretum paths — beautiful in all four seasons,” Schweigert says.
Photos courtesy The Art Room
The Art Room
633 Penn Avenue #1, West Reading
Fittingly, The Art Room opened on Valentine’s Day in 2021. Feeling that Penn Avenue was missing a place where people could express themselves while performing an activity, owner Brian Adams decided to create the room where it happens.
The shop offers ceramic painting, glass painting, wood and canvas painting and pottery wheels. It also hosts birthday parties, bachelorette parties, baby showers, team-building exercises and much more.
“I handmake 80 percent of the pieces on our shelves,” Adams says.
You and your significant other can select a pair of those plain ceramic figurines, set up at a table in the shop — food and drinks are allowed (it's BYOB) — and spend an hour or two painting them. Adams will then bake the figurines, and within a week the shiny creations can be picked up.
He says the most popular items with couples are mugs and planters, each of which comes with an added benefit.
“With a mug purchase you receive a hot cocoa packet,” he says, “and with a planter you receive a complimentary plant.”
For the Sports Fans: Playing the Game of Love
It’s a down time of year for sports fans. The NFL season is ending. It’s a month away from the NBA- and NHL-season stretch runs and the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. And Major League Baseball and the women’s NCAA tournament kick off in the spring. But there are plenty of ways to stay active.
Photos courtesy The Works at Wyomissing
The Works at Wyomissing
1109 Bern Rd., Wyomissing
Housed in the converted former Textile Machine Works building, The Works has become a Berks staple, expanding multiple times in the two decades since it opened.There is plenty here to get the afternoon in gear.
Start with a drink and appetizer at The Works restaurant before heading to the game room to shoot some baskets and try out some of the other competitive offerings. Then fill your need for speed by heading to Slick Willy’s Karts & Eats for some go-kart races. It's $20.95 for a single race during the weekends with discounts available on multi-race packages. Reservations are recommended.
Photo courtesy Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex
Ice Skating at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex
3103 Paper Mill Rd., Spring Township
Couples holding hands while ice skating happens so often in movies, especially those of the Hallmark Christmas variety, that it has become cliché. But it’s still a solid date-night option, especially for the athletically inclined.
And it’s one that happens often this time of year at Body Zone.
“In the colder months, we see lots of couples coming in,” says Christine M. Kolva, Body Zone’s director of marketing and communications. “It’s so cute.”
Body Zone offers 90-minute public ice skating sessions on Friday evenings, Saturday afternoons and evenings and Sunday afternoons. The $15 fee includes rental skates regardless of if they are needed.
If you want to get some practice time in so you don’t wipe out too often on your big night out, “we have a huge learn-to-skate program,” Kolva says.
The $175 fee for that program includes eight 45-minute sessions.
Photos courtesy Reading Royals
Reading Royals
Santander Arena, 700 Penn St., Reading
After some active time on the ice, take a seat and watch the professionals in action. Nearing their 25-year anniversary, the Reading Royals have three home weekend games in February from which you can choose, but the ECHL contest against the Adirondack Thunder on Saturday, Feb. 3, is special.
The Pink in the Rink/Women in Sports Night returns for an evening of giveaways and feel-good moments for good causes. Yes, the ice will be pink, a labor-intensive process that takes six team members up to 12 hours to complete according to Tammy Dahms, vice president of corporate partnerships for the Reading Royals and Santander Arena.
“We first painted the ice pink in 2006 to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer Support Services,” Dahms says. “Since then, the partnership with the Reading Royals and BCSS has raised more than $145,000 to work for their mission towards supporting all those affected by breast cancer in our community.”
During the game’s first intermission, breast cancer survivors will take charity shots and receive on-ice recognition.
The Women in Sports component has grown to feature panels including reps from all over southeastern Pennsylvania. This year’s group will include Dahms; Kiernan Melograna, head athletic trainer for Wilson High School; and Catherine Wiese, head field hockey coach for Albright College.
Dahms urges you to arrive early to walk the concourse. And be sure to keep an eye out for game-day staff.
“They may just invite you to participate in an on-ice or in-game activity,” Dahms says.
For the Romantics: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
If you’re the lovey-dovey type, every day can be like Valentine’s Day. But in February, with love in the air, you don’t have to pretend. Berks County is home to abundant wineries, romantic restaurants and cozy bed and breakfasts. Any combination of them could work for a lovely night out. Here is one suggested itinerary.
Photo courtesy Stouch Tavern
Stouch Tavern
138 W. High St., Womelsdorf
Established soon after our country was established, Stouch Tavern offers some of the best dinnertime ambiance in the county. It feels less like eating in a restaurant than in a historic restored home. Because that’s essentially what it is.
Nestled in Womelsdorf, the building, which dates to 1785, has been an inn, meeting place, bar, restaurant and post office during its long history. George Washington slept there in November 1793 while serving as the first U.S. president.
Its notable backstory aside, Stouch is simply a great place to enjoy dinner and conversation with your loved one. The table side Caesar salad service is highly recommended.
Photo courtesy The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel
The Gables at Stirling Guest Hotel
1120 Centre Avenue, Reading
After enjoying dinner at one historic Berks County landmark heavy on romantic ambiance, end your night — and begin the following day— at another one. Set in a restored 1892 mansion in Reading’s Centre Park Historic District, the Gables offers 15 uniquely situated suites: nine Victorian-style suites in its main mansion and six more modern-style offerings in its Carriage House. Amenities include a full breakfast each morning, a pool room, a music room and complimentary wine, coffee and tea.
Photo by Heidi Reuter
Folino Estate Vineyard and Winery
340 Old U.S. 22, Greenwich Township
Anyone who enjoys Folino Estate’s expertly crafted, estate-grown red wine should thank red tape for its existence. Family patriarch Rodolfo Folino purchased more than 50 acres of land off Route 78 after the turn of the millennium on which to build homes. Delays due to regulations eventually shelved the project, and the idea for a winery/restaurant was devised by Rodolfo’s son Marco and daughter-in-law Andrea. It was a natural fit after the family accrued decades of experience in the industry with Valentino’s Restaurant in Kutztown.
Opening its doors in 2015, Folino Estate gives patrons a taste of the family’s Italian roots. It’s impossible to miss the inspiration in its spacious greeting area, modeled after an Italian piazza complete with a water fountain.
Start your date with some wine tastings; reservations are recommended on the weekends. Folino produces nearly a dozen varieties each of red and white wines along with a few rosés, sangria and sparkling varieties.
If you’re interested in lunch or dinner while you’re there, Folino’s restaurant offers an Italian-heavy menu, including brick-oven pizza. Depending on the weather, its outdoor patio is perfect for al fresco dining, though at this time of year, it likely would be al freezing.
