14 Memorable Date Night Ideas to Experience in Venice, Florida
There are many ideas for a romantic date night in Venice, Florida. Venice is known for its beautiful beaches filled with shark teeth, signature sunsets on the jetty, and a beautiful main street on Venice Island.
It is the perfect destination for couples looking for a romantic getaway. Whether you are just visiting for the weekend or are a local looking to get out for the evening, there is something for everyone.
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Best Way To Enjoy Date Nights in Venice, Florida
There are so many different places to explore; date night will be an adventure, for sure. From picnics to live music, indulging your inner foodie or grocery store trips, high-flying adventures and being out to sea, you'll love these ideas for a date night.
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Romantic Picnic by the Beach
One of the most romantic date ideas is usually a picnic on the beach. While you can grab a picnic basket and a blanket for a cheap date idea, you can also hire Paradise Picnics to take your date to a luxury level.
Paradise Picnics sets everything up for you and it looks like something out of your favorite romantic movie. They provide the food, drinks and ambiance to make your night everything you dreamed it would be.
Poetry Under The Trees
Each of you select your favorite romantic poem and spend the afternoon under the banyan trees. Head down Venice Ave towards the beach and you'll see these gorgeous trees all throughout the medians. You'll feel like you are in your own little oasis among these historic trees!
This is also a great spot to capture some cute photos with your sweetheart or even bring along a picnic lunch from one of the local eateries.
sunset dinner cruise
Just a bit north of Venice in Sarasota you can hop aboard the Marina Jack II for a sunset dinner cruise through the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico.
While on board you will enjoy their dinner buffet including carved prime rib and grilled salmon with saffron cream sauce served with mixed green, seasonal vegetables, and chef's choice of potato or rice. For dessert, they offer a double-layered chocolate cake, piña colada cake or key lime pie.
take a dance class
The Fred Astaire Dance Studios offers a variety of private or group dance lessons in Venice. You can spend an evening (or several) learning different styles of dance ranging from rhythm dances, smooth dances or even country-western two-step dancing.
Imagine how much fun it would be to learn how to waltz or even salsa with the one you love!
Dancing Under The Stars
Dancing under the stars is a wonderful way to put those dance classes into practice as you enjoy the live music and dancing right on the beach.
Sharky's on the Pier has been a landmark in the Venice community for 35 years. With an extensive menu of seafood and fun frozen drinks, it's an experience that everyone should have at least once. Enjoy dinner and drinks before heading out to the pier to catch the sunset.
Publix shop and eat
For a more unique date idea, run over to Publix near Jacaranda and Tamiami Trail and head straight to the deli side. You can get the ever popular “pub sub”, which will be made exactly as you want. Whenever I head home, Publix is my first stop! I grab a sub, fried chicken, and sweet tea. YUM!
You could also select to fill up a container from the hot bar or the salad bar, which rotates out daily specials. There are also pre-made containers with various fruits, veggies, salads and side dishes. It's the ultimate grocery store, experience.
Enjoy picking out your food options and then you can zip right upstairs to their balcony to people watch while you enjoy your meal.
Classic Dinner and A Show
If you like to stick to the classics, there's always the tried and true dinner and a show. Spotlight Theaters is the place to go for current movies and it's been recently renovated with comfy recliner seats.
There's also the historic Venice Theater which offers a variety of concerts, plays, musicals, comedies and more.
The Venice Foodies is a local blog that offers the inside scoop on local restaurants and will provide all the information you need to choose where to eat before or after the show.
Check out the local music scene
Venice often gets a bad reputation for being a “retirement community” but don't let that fool you. There are plenty of places in Venice that have live music entertainment for folks of all ages to enjoy.
Whether you want a small venue for light music or rocking out to a local cover band, there's plenty of options:
- Paradise Grill
- Chaz 51 Steakhouse
- Brewburgers Back Porch
- Daquiri Deck
- Paradise Grill
- Pelican Alley
- Made in Italy Italian Restaurant and Martini Bar
- Shuck N Ale
- Nokomos Sunset Hut
- Sandbar Tiki & Grille
- TJ Carneys
- Pop's Sunset Grill
- VFW in Venice
- Sharky's on the Pier
- Snook Haven
- Tarpon Point Grill and Marina
- Jetty Jacks
enjoy the venice farmers market
Every Saturday, the Venice Farmer's Market sets up on Venice Avenue in front of City Hall. The market is filled with vendors selling a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh seafood and meats, Wisconsin cheeses and fresh baked goods.
You'll also find locally-made jams and jellies, fresh made juices and smoothies, creamy hummus, hot pizzas and more! You can even listen to some live music while you shop.
It's one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning! And if you're looking for something to do afterwards, you're in luck — the Venice Farmers Market is located in the heart of the historic downtown area, so you can explore the quaint shops and eateries nearby.
Take Trapeze lessons
Did you know that Venice was the winter home of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus? There is evidence all over the area of the rich circus history here.
The Circus Bridge, near the Venice Airport, is where the elephants would parade in for the shows. Also near the airport is Tito Gaona's Trapeze Academy, where you can take Trapeze lessons either privately or part of a group. Get your adrenaline rush and experience something new as a couple together.
visit the venice Museum & Archives
For those who have a love of history, the Venice Museum & Archives can be a fun afternoon. There are various exhibits that showcase the rich culture and history behind Venice and the people who have lived here in the generations past.
There are exhibits on the local fossils, historic buildings, and all about Dr. Fred Albee who was a famous orthopedic surgeon who lived in the area. Some of the special exhibits come and go, so you can go back over and over again!
go on a quest
The Venice Area Chamber of Commerce has set up EIGHT quests to choose from, meaning you have eight different date night adventures:
- FantaSea Mermaids & Seahorses Quest
- History
- Arts & Culture
- Downtown/Venice Beach Walk
- Young at Heart
- Shark Spotting
- Search for Fairy Doors
- Venice Public Library Centennial Quest
It all starts with downloading the scavenger hunt Scavify app. Just register and search for Venice to find all sorts of adventures waiting for you.
Visit a local winery
Take a drive 45 minutes north to East Bradenton to visit Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard. You can book a tour to learn all about winery, the history of the vineyard and an overview of the different wines or wine sorbets they'll give you to sample.
While you can walk in, reservations are encouraged, so plan accordingly. You can even get a souvenir wine glass to remember your trip.
Hunt for shark teeth
If you're looking for a fun and exciting activity, why not go shark tooth hunting? Venice is actually the Shark Tooth Capital of the world! The soft sand of the area makes it an ideal spot for finding shark teeth, and you can even find some millions of years old.
With a bit of luck and persistence, you can find all sorts of teeth, from the small and delicate to the large and impressive. Grab a pair of sunglasses, a sand-sifting device and a bucket, and hit the beach. You never know what treasures you'll find.
Dating in Venice, Florida
See? There are a BUNCH of ideas out there for a date night in Venice! Get creative and have fun exploring all that this area has to offer.
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