EAT

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day Specials

Locations, times, and prices vary.

Don’t (completely) panic: There’s still time to make last-minute Valentine’s Day dinner reservations. Whether you’re looking for a romantic table for two or late-night dessert spot, we’ve got you covered. Read through our guide to local menus for every V-Day agenda—first dates, dinner and a game, and casual spots, to name a few—before calling around to find open tables.

DRINK

Feb. 14-16: Belgian Beer Fest

Max’s Taphouse, 737 S. Broadway. 11-2 a.m. Free.

Nothing says “romantic date idea” quite like sampling hundreds of Belgian beers at Max’s Taphouse. This weekend, the Fells Point staple is stocking its bar with more than 250 varieties of Belgian bottled beers, with another 200 on draft, as well as takeovers each day by the likes of RAR, Stillwater, and Allagash. Swing by the revered taphouse to sip on a few new ales, snack on Belgian-inspired eats, and celebrate this 16th annual beer fest.

SEE

Feb. 14: Baltimore Art Gallery Opening

Baltimore Art Gallery, 855 W. 36th St. 7-9:30 p.m. Free.

This Friday, take a trip down the Avenue in Hampden to check out the neighborhood’s newest addition—Baltimore Art Gallery. The space will feature work made exclusively by local artists, with a focus on providing affordable, accessible pieces to Baltimore art collectors or casual shoppers. Browse through paintings and prints by area artists like Matt Muirhead and Kristin Wiebe during the gallery’s grand opening on Friday night, and take home your favorite piece and a frame by the night’s end.

HEAR

Feb. 15: Mortified Baltimore: Doomed Valentines

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $19-22.

Let’s face it: Everyone has (at least) a few cringe-worthy memories about a middle-school crush that you’d rather not relive. But in honor of Valentine’s Day, a group of brave souls will take over the Creative Alliance stage to share their own tales of awkward adolescent romance, with props like love letters and diary entries to back up their stories. Settle into the Highlandtown arts center and spend Saturday night experiencing flashbacks to the storytellers’ teenage heartsick moments, even if only to temporarily forget your own.

DO

Feb. 16: Pinewood Derby

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-5 p.m. Free-$10.

Sharpen your tools and assemble your pit crew for Union Craft Brewing’s fifth-annual Pinewood Derby. This good ol’ fashioned tradition invites novice builders and expert crafters alike to make a wooden toy car and race it down a 40-foot racetrack. This year, spectators can monitor the finish line via the brewery’s giant projector screen while racers compete to win beer prizes and bragging rights. Stick around after the high-stakes action to knock back a few Duckpins and chow down on Well Crafted Kitchen’s special carnival-themed menu.

EAT

Feb. 16: Small Foods Party

American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. 7 p.m. Free-$15.

Whoever coined the term “the bigger, the better” clearly never attended a party supplied with a smorgasbord of bite-sized cupcakes, shrimp cocktails, and crab cake sandwiches. At this 14th annual bash-slash-competition, sample itty-bitty versions of your favorite foods (past standouts include mini matzo ball soup and cinnamon rolls). Or, if you’re confident in your shrunken cooking skills, enter your own petite picks to win the grand (and ironic) prize of a giant can of mini corn.

DRINK

Feb. 15-17: Max’s Belgian Beer Fest

737 South Broadway. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Free.

According to Lyft, Max’s Taphouse was the most visited bar in Baltimore during 2018—and for good reason. During this annual beer fest, belly up to the bar and sample a selection of rare European pours that will join the pub’s usual 200-plus bottles and taps for the entire weekend. If you have one dubbel or tripel too many, no worries, the Fells Point favorite will be serving up Belgian-inspired snacks to soak up the suds.

SEE

Feb. 15-April 27: The Mother of Invention/ Amy Helminiak/ Ben Piwowar

School 33 Art Center, 1477 Light St. 6-9 p.m. Free.

If you’re a bit late to the Valentine’s Day party, but still looking for a cultural date to make up for it, you’re in luck. This Friday, School 33 Arts Center will unveil three new exhibitions: The Mother of Invention, a group exhibition of experimental video shorts that combines DIY digital and analog image manipulation, Modern Language, featuring emoji-inspired collages by Baltimore-based artist Amy Helminiak that explore communication in the digital age, and soft obstacle, an installation by local artist Ben Piwowar that combines drawing, painting, and structural strategies to evoke feelings of vulnerability and flux.

HEAR

Feb. 15: The Baltimore Rock Opera Society Pitch Party VII

The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St. 7-11 p.m. Free.

From their sci-fi comedy “The Terrible Secret of Lunastus” to this year’s Halloween extravaganza “Lurid Happenings: A Night of Mischief and Devilry,” the Baltimore Rock Opera Society always keeps its devoted local fans wanting more. This Saturday, help the beloved performance group chose their next fantastical production by watching two pitch presentations and then casting your vote for your favorite contender. After the ballots have been collected, stick around for a late-night dance party to celebrate another weird and wonderful rock opera in 2021.

DO

Feb. 17: Pinewood Derby

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 W. 41st St. 12-5 p.m. Free-$10.

Who said your Cub Scout training would never come in handy? While pinewood derby racing is a few decades past its heyday, Union Craft Brewing is keeping the good ol’ fashioned tradition alive through this annual contest that invites first-timers and seasoned racers alike to make a wooden toy car and run it down their 40-foot derby track. Whether you’re competing for style, speed, or cheering on your favorite car from the sidelines, be sure to grab a specialty slice from Well Crafted Kitchen’s carnival-themed menu and wash it down with a few Duckpins and Skipjacks.