Break the date night mould with these 13 summer date ideas that can be done as a couple or with friends, honestly. It’s summertime and if we’re not busy travelling, we may as well be soaking up every minute because Summer goes by in a flash.
Just me? I didn’t think so 😉
Summer Date Ideas
We don’t all live in the same place, so some of these ideas may work for you or they may not. I’ve tried to choose things that would be more readily available and not just local to where I live. Climates, topography, and living situations are different for all of us.
- Beach bonfire
- Picnic in the park/beach
- See an outdoor show
- Backyard movie & snacks
- Go to a drive-in movie
- Go on a hike
- Amusement park
- Go kayaking or standup paddle boarding
- Mini-golf
- Wine tasting/brewery crawl
- Volunteer at an animal shelter/rescue
- Food truck festival/crawl
- Random day road trip
Beach Bonfire Summer Date
Soak up the sunset and enjoy a responsible beach bonfire, if there are no bonfire restrictions in your area. Roast marshmallows, play games, tell stories, or just enjoy being in one another’s company.
Typically, fires are not allowed for the majority of the Summer here, as we have some pretty intense wildfire seasons. Fire bans are commonplace around here, but if you get the chance to do so, I would highly recommend them.
Picnic In The Park/Beach Summer Date
You could do this one of two ways. First, you could grab takeout from a local restaurant or you could grab pre-made stuff from the grocery store. Secondly, you can make your own meal or snacks that you can easily travel with. We do picnics every year as it’s a great way for us to get outside more, especially when our building rooftop isn’t available.
Even something as simple as grabbing a pizza and hanging out with some of your favourite music. This is one of our favourite things to do during the summer. Plus, there are always good people watching, and who doesn’t love that?!
Summer Date – See An Outdoor Show
This doesn’t have to be a music festival, but it definitely can be. We’ve seen plenty of outdoor concerts, and as two people that love music, it’s always a good time.
However, you’re likely to find some outdoor-specific theatre events. For example, here in Vancouver we have Bard on The Beach and Theatre Under The Stars. They’re both very popular each and every summer. Theatre Under The Stars takes place inside Stanley Park and Bard on The Beach takes place at Sunset beach.
Another great outdoor event that occurs, specifically here in Vancouver, is the Celebration of Light. It’s 3 nights of fireworks put on by different countries and it’s spectacular. Hot tip, stay away from the crowds. Watch from the Kits side or the bridge. English Bay gets insanely busy. INSANE.
Backyard Movie & Snacks – Summer Date
We don’t have a backyard, so this doesn’t apply to us, but it does for a lot of people. I will state though, that we did this as a social event in our building up on our rooftop under the stars and it was amazing. If you don’t have a projector, don’t worry. Just bring out your laptop or iPad and get cozy under the stars with your favourite snacks and enjoy.
Even a great idea for those with kids. A great family movie night idea, that can then turn into date night once the kids go to bed.
Summer Date Idea – Go On A Hike
If you live in a very hot climate, this may not be the perfect summer date activity, unless you can get out early in the morning.
Getting out together and doing a hike offers great views and if you pack some snacks with you, you could even picnic at the top. But for the love of mankind, whatever you pack in, you MUST pack out. Seriously, it harms the wildlife.
Be responsible.
Summer Date Night At The Drive-In
Okay, so perhaps I am ageing myself here a little bit, but drive-ins do still exist. So if you want to have a throwback kinda date night, load up the car with snacks and blankets, and enjoy a movie at the drive-in.
Amusement Park Date Day
What a fun day to be had if you’re at the amusement park. I personally am not a fan of roller coasters so I go for the food and the games. Also, we here have the PNE which has a number of fun things such as concerts, super dogs, duelling pianos and so much more.
Amusement parks aren’t just for the thrill-seekers, but they do definitely make for a great date day.
So long as the weather cooperates that is 🙂
Summer Date Day On The Water – SUP or Kayak
In 2020, we fell in love with paddleboarding while camping in Tofino. We are lucky to live close to the ocean and many lakes, so this is a super easy summer date idea for us.
We have inflatable stand-up paddleboards from Thurso and they’re easy to inflate and quickly get out on the water. The boards stand up to the dog constantly jumping between Jason’s board and my board, and they look nice.
Mini Golf / Top Golf
Who doesn’t love a round of mini-golf? It’s way more fun than regular golf, in my opinion. You could also go to a driving range or a place like Top Golf, where you can hit some golf balls without committing to a round of golf which could make one or both of you mad. Keep it light and fun!
Winery/Brewery Tasting/Crawl
If you live in an area with wineries or breweries, this can be a great date day. We live in Vancouver and we actually live very close to a ton of breweries. But hey, when we go to Portland, we also do a brewery day. Bless Uber and Lyft haha.
We live not too far away from wineries, but it does involve an overnight so we don’t go very often. But if wine is your jam, and close by, cheers to a wine-de-ful date!
Volunteer Together
If you have an organization that is close to your heart, make a date day by volunteering with that organization. A great way to give back to your community and spend some quality time together.
Food Truck Festival/Crawl
Who doesn’t love a good food truck meal? We have a food truck night that happens over on the North Shore on Friday evenings along with a beer garden, and some live music! Get one thing from multiple vendors and share some food, and then rate the vendors.
Again, we also do this in Portland.
Random Day Road Trip
Whether you pick a random direction to drive off in, or you have a planned route, a mini road trip for the day is always a fun idea. Listen to some of your favourite tunes or catch up on podcasts you both listen to and discover a new place together. Who knows, this could become a tradition.
Summer Date Ideas Wrap Up
Share with me, what is your favourite summer date to do with your partner? Honestly, I think ours is a toss-up between paddleboarding, and a good old-fashioned random road trip, which usually involves brunch of some kind.
I hope you enjoyed this list and found some inspiration.
Leave a Reply