Looking for Date Night suggestions? We asked Peterborough & the Kawarthas insiders to share some of their unique date night ideas and they didn’t let us down.
Year-Round Ideas
- Start your day off with breakfast at one of our delicious breakfast places such as Electric City Bread Company, The East City Coffee Shop or Two Dishes Cookshop
- Brunch lover? On weekends find the best brunch at One Fine Food, Pastry Peddler or The Publican House
- Drive, cycle, snowmobile or ride your motorcycle to some of the stops along the Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour
- Plan your weekend around local events, concerts, festivals, and more
- Dine at one of Downtown Peterborough’s incredible restaurants such as Kettle Drums, Ashburnham Ale House, or Rare Culinary Art Studio.
- Enjoy dinner at a rural restaurant with a view like Chemong Lodge, Hobart’s Lighthouse, or Burleigh Falls Inn
- Book a couple’s massage at Euphoria Wellness Spa, The Spa at Elmhirst’s Resort or The Urban Spa
- Venture out to Kawartha Country Wines and Rolling Grape Vineyard for a wine tasting or two
- Plan a romantic weekend getaway at a resort or B & B like Viamede or Stillwater on the Lake
- Shop a local farmer’s market or farmgate store on Saturday morning for ingredients to cook a romantic dinner together, and then grab dessert from Lakefield Bakery on Queen.
- Plan a Pottery or Paint Date Night at The Art School of Peterborough or The Artisans Centre
- Take an intimate tour of one of the amazing galleries or museums in the area like META4 Contemporary Craft Gallery, Art Gallery of Peterborough, The Canadian Canoe Museum (they even have date nights!), or Peterborough Museum & Archives
- Practice teamwork at Escape Maze and Lift Lock Escape
Fall
- Enjoy the fall colours and explore the region on one of our scenic fall drives or create your own using our Top 10 Fall Experiences
- Ride the carousel at The Norwood Fair, and share cotton candy together
- Choose the perfect hiking trail for a day in nature
- Take a fall colours tour along the Trent-Severn Waterway with Liftlock & the Riverboat Cruises
- Take part in the Pumpkin Festival at McLean Berry Farm with activities including straw and corn mazes, haunted barn, pumpkin cannon, live entertainment and hayrides
- On Thanksgiving weekend, attend the Harvest Craft Show at the Buckhorn Community Centre. This craft show features jewelry, designer clothing, soaps, woven goods, handmade furniture, home accessories and local candy, honey, jams and jellies from over 120 artisans across Canada
- Take a scenic fall walk through the Trent Nature Sanctuary Trails
Winter
- Winter hike in the woods or rent snowshoes from a local outfitter/club and bring a thermos of hot chocolate to share
- Dinner and Skating on Rice Lake at Elmhirst’s Resort, or have a full weekend get-a-way at Elmhirst’s resort. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage, relax at the spa, warm up in a steaming hot tub, and enjoy an incredible culinary experience
- Toboggan down Armour Hill
- Create your own custom box of delectable chocolates from the handmade selection at The Chocolate Rabbit or one of our other excellent chocolate shops
- When the ice freezes the water, skate along the Trent Canal at the base of the Peterborough Lift Lock
- Spend a winter’s day skiing on the groomed trails in the wilderness at Kawartha Nordic Ski Club. Warm-up afterwards by the wood stoves in their cozy chalet
- Cheer on the Peterborough Pete’s hockey team at the Peterborough Memorial Centre. Go Pete’s Go!
- Spend a romantic weekend in cottage country. While staying in a lakeside cottage at Pine Vista Resort, snuggle up to a roaring fire and embrace the breathtaking views of winter on Stoney Lake.
Spring
- Take part in Buckhorn Maplefest at McLean Berry Farm featuring a pancake breakfast, live music, maple syrup demonstrations, sugar bushwalking tours and hayrides
- When the nice weather finally arrives spend a couple’s weekend at Six Foot Bay Resort! Relax on the beach, play a round of golf and have a BBQ
- Visit the Spring Craft Show at the Buckhorn Community Centre during the Victoria Day long weekend, where you will find jewellery, designer clothing, soaps, woven goods, handmade furniture, home accessories and local candy, honey, jams and jellies
- Plan a spring drive and pick up some beautiful blooms for your special someone using the Peterborough & Area Garden Route
Summer
- Plan a picnic dinner and outdoor theatre in the great outdoors at 4th Line Theatre
- Book a waterway cruise along the Trent Severn Waterway with the Liftlock & the Riverboat Cruises
- Canoe or kayak on a quiet lake with a packed lunch for two. Rent a canoe or kayak from Adventure Outfitters, Wild Rock Outfitters or Liftlock Paddle Co.
- Cycle from Peterborough to Lakefield for ice cream or coffee
- Go camping and snuggle up in a blanket by a campfire to watch the stars, or stay in the city and head to the top of Armour Hill to stargaze
- Have a picnic lunch at the base of the Peterborough Lift Lock
- Go berry picking at McLean & Buckhorn Berry Farms
- Rent a stand-up paddleboard from Liftlock Paddle Co. and journey through Little Lake in the heart of downtown Peterborough. Dock at Millennium Park and have lunch at the Silver Bean Café
- Tour the gallery at ZimArt’s Rice Lake Gallery. Picnics are encouraged, so why not bring a bottle of wine from Rolling Grape Vineyard, a delicious lunch from The Pastry Peddler, and dessert from Doo Doo’s Bakery
- Watch a Lakers Lacrosse game at the Peterborough Memorial Centre
- Head over to Del Crary Park on a Wednesday or Saturday night for Peterborough Musicfest. Before the show, take in views of Little Lake while enjoying a beverage on The Holiday Inn Gazebo patio
- Spend a hot and sunny afternoon at Beavermead Park. Play some beach volleyball, go for a swim, have a picnic lunch from The Favourite Greek or La Hacienda Mexican Restaurant and lay on the beach
- Take a stroll through the Riverview Park & Zoo, walk along the river, play a round of disc golf and have a picnic
- Share a milkshake at Kawartha Dairy
- Spend a summer day swimming in the Burleigh Falls rapids
- Cycle along the Rotary Greenway Trail to the Ashburnham Ale House for lunch or dinner
- For the adventurous couple, enjoy backcountry camping in Kawartha Highland Provincial Park. A trip filled with canoeing, portaging, swimming, campfires and stargazing
- Go spelunking and explore the Warsaw Caves
- Climb to the top of the world’s highest hydraulic lift lock at the Peterborough Lift Lock – Lock 21 and take in the picturesque views as the sun sets