No matter if it’s a hot July evening, a crisp September afternoon, or a chilly January morning, Kingston boasts date spots for every season.
We’ve put together a list of ideas (that aren’t restaurants) for summer, fall, and winter to help you plan the perfect first date or anniversary celebration.
Summer date ideas
Fort Henry Lookout
1 Fort Henry Drive
This picturesque lookout is the perfect way to impress your next date or longtime significant other.
Hop in your car or rent a bike from i-Cycle Electric Bike Co. and take the scenic, uphill journey to the military fort. At the top, you’re met with a panoramic view of Kingston, featuring City Hall, the Royal Military College of Canada, and the tranquil waters of the St. Lawrence River.
If you head to Fort Henry during sunset, you’ll get an uninterrupted view of the pinky-orange summer sky. Play some romantic music, grab takeout from your favourite Kingston restaurant, and enjoy the gorgeous sunset with your date.
Movies in the Square
Springer Market Square
Make some buttered popcorn, snag two lawn chairs, and enjoy free movies in the square under the stars, cuddled next to your date.
Every Thursday night from mid-June to August, laugh-out-loud comedies and family-friendly classics are projected on a giant inflatable screen in Springer Market Square. You can bring your own snacks or purchase a bag of popcorn at the Square for $2. If your date has a sweet tooth, grab some cotton candy for $4.
Visit Downtown Kingston’s website to see what movies are screening this summer.
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Beach picnic
Multiple locations
Kingston boasts several sandy beaches that are perfect for a daytime picnic with your partner.
First, head over to Pan Chancho Bakery and Café to grab some cold drinks, a fresh loaf of bread, cheese, and all the finger food required for the perfect picnic date. After packing your picnic basket and a blanket, drive 25 minutes east of Kingston to Grass Creek Park (2991 Highway 2), a beautiful sandy beach with a designated picnic area.
Want a shorter drive? Try Crerar Park & Reddendale Beach to the west, equipped with its own gradual sandbar leading into the serene waters of Lake Ontario. Sip on your drink and watch the waves lap against the hidden beach’s shore.
Check out our list of 5 must-visit Kingston beaches for more picnic spots.
Salsa in the Square
Springer Market Square
Grab your partner, strap on your dancing shoes, and head to Springer Market Square for some spicy salsa classes.
On Tuesdays in July and August, free salsa dancing classes are offered from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in Springer Market Square. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned salsa dancing couple, instructors will show you how to connect with your partner and move to the Latin music.
Put your moves to the test when Springer Market Square becomes an open dance floor from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere as darkness shrouds the Limestone City.
Afterwards, stop by one of the many restaurants surrounding Springer Market Square for dinner and drinks. Continue your Latin–themed date night and pop into Tango Nuevo for delicious tapas.
Berry picking at Fruition Berry Farm
3208 Hughes Road
Frolic with your date through fields of berries this summer.
In July, you and your partner can pick raspberries and blueberries at Fruition Berry Farms located just 20 minutes from downtown Kingston. Raspberries cost $4.50/L while blueberries cost $6.50/L.
After picking the fresh summer berries, use them to whip up a delicious brunch with your partner. Nothing’s better than fresh berries, sweet maple syrup, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, and good company on a bright weekend morning.
Fruition Berry Farm closes in August to prepare for the autumn harvest. Come back in September for pumpkins and a corn maze.
Fall date ideas
Fort Fright
1 Fort Henry Drive
When the sun sets in October, Fort Henry transforms into a nightmarish realm brimming with monsters and ghouls. Shrouded in darkness, you and your date will make your way through the haunted halls of the museum. Listen closely, and you’ll hear ghosts luring you forward. You’ll be clinging to your date after experiencing this haunted site.
Visit Fort Henry’s website to purchase your tickets for Fort Fright. Keep the Halloween vibes going and try one of Kingston’s Haunted Walks available year-round.
Apple picking at Waddell Apples Orchard & Farm Store
1345 Washburn Road
While enjoying the crisp fall air, you and your date can pick sweet apples at Waddell Apples Orchard & Farm Store.
From September to October, you can take part in this quintessential fall activity just 20 minutes north of downtown Kingston. A medium bag of apples costs $20, while a large costs $40.
Bring some McIntosh or Lobo apples home and make a warm fall dessert with your partner.
Fall hiking
Multiple locations
Whether you’re an outdoorsy couple wanting to traverse rugged terrain or looking for an easy, scenic hiking trail perfect for a first date, we’ve got you covered.
When the leaves turn yellow and orange, stroll along Lemoine Point’s (1440 Coverdale Drive) 11 km hiking trail, crossing picturesque woodlands, fields, and marshlands. The terrain is relatively flat, perfect for novice hikers wanting to experience the great outdoors with their partner.
K&P Trails offers another easy hiking route where you can tumble into easy conversation with your date. The 22 km-long trail spans urban and rural areas, so you and your significant other will never get bored on your gorgeous fall walks.
For outdoorsy couples wanting to take their hiking skills to the next level, check out Frontenac Provincial Park (6700 Salmon Lake Road), a year-round hiking trail located 45 minutes outside Kingston. The woodsy terrain features a plethora of gargantuan trees and unique wildlife.
Visit Frontenac Provincial Park’s website for more information about parking and accessibility.
Escape Room at Improbable Escapes
303 Bagot Street, Suite 16B
Put your thinking caps on, head over to Improbable Escapes, and complete an exhilarating escape room with your significant other.
Set the spooky September mood and try Improbable Escape’s Coroner’s Report; you and your partner will have 60 minutes to escape an abandoned hospital with a dubious history. The atmospheric escape room was modelled after classic horror movie sets and haunted houses, amplifying the puzzle’s eeriness.
If you’re looking for something lighter, try the Legend of the Mayan Temple–you’ll need to crawl, slide, and traverse the Mayan jungle to find the king’s lost cup.
Each meticulously designed puzzle at Improbable Escape’s varies in difficulty, so there’s a room for every couple. Visit Improbable Escape’s website to learn more about their puzzles and plan your date.
Creative Kingston Walking Tours
Multiple locations
Hold hands with your significant other and discover the limestone city’s music, literature, and film histories while enjoying the yellow and orange-tinted landscape.
The Creative Kington Walking Tours are free, self-guided excursions taking you around the city’s picturesque and historically rich landmarks. They offer one to two-and-a-half-hour tours focusing on film, literature, and music in Kingston.
The downtown film tour will take you through Springer Market Square where Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro filmed parts of Crimson Peak. The world-famous director turned the historic square into a 19th-century market bustling with horse-drawn carriages and women in Edwardian dresses.
Try the west film tour if your date wants to learn how the Kingston Penitentiary became the setting for the television show Mayor of Kingstown starring Jeremy Renner.
If you and your partner delight in historical fiction or contemporary poetry, try one of the literary tours. The downtown tour will take you past Novel Idea, and the former home of The Kingston Whig-Standard. If you choose the west tour, you’ll visit the Tett Centre, an artistic space overlooking Lake Ontario.
To know the origins of the iconic Canadian band The Tragically Hip and visit the site of their final concert in 2016, consider taking one of Kingston’s music tours.
Visit the Creative Kingston Walking Tours webpage to learn more about your next date night activity.
Kingston Fall Fair
Kingston Memorial Centre
Popcorn, a Ferris wheel, and gigantic stuffed animals– a perfect date to the fair, right in the heart of Kingston.
The Kingston Fall Fair takes place every September at Kingston Memorial Centre, boasting rides, games, and vendors.
Jump on the swinging pirate ship ride before playing a round of ring toss, winning your date a gift in the process. After trying all the dizzying rides and entertaining games, share a sugary, melt-in-your-mouth bucket of cotton candy. For couples with adventurous taste buds, try a delectable, deep-fried Oreo.
Check out Kingston Fall Fair’s website for festival dates and tickets.
Winter date ideas
Ice Skating
Springer Market Square
Despite the cold winter chill, you and your date can still experience Kingston outdoors.
Grab your skates or rent a pair at Trailhead Kingston (262 Princess Street) and head to Springer Market Square for an open ice rink. Open 8 am to 10 pm daily, this free rink is the perfect winter date spot.
Before heading home, cross the square to 20 Market Street to grab a sugary treat from BeaverTails Kingston.
Movie at The Screening Room
120 Princess Street
This intimate, down-to-earth movie theatre, a stark contrast from the gigantic multiplexes, is the perfect place to cozy up to your partner.
Head over to The Screening Room for the best popcorn in the city, topped with real butter, and catch a movie. They play a wide range of movies, from cult classics to small indie films. Check out The Screening Room’s website to see what movies are playing this month.
With your concession snacks in tow, settle into the small theatre, and pull the classic yawn-and-stretch on your date.
Glow Spa’s thermotherapy and escape packages
234 Princess Street
Escape the winter chill and step inside this thermotherapy spa in the heart of downtown Kingston.
Glow Spa’s romantic, relaxing thermotherapy experience features a steaming, glowing hot tub, cold plunge, spacious sauna, and steam room wafting with the smell of essential oils. While Glow Spa enforces a no-talking policy, their thermotherapy spa is the perfect place for you and your partner to unwind together for one, two, or three hours.
If you and your date want the ultimate spa day experience, try Glow Spa’s escape packages. Their full-day wellness package includes a three–hour spa retreat, 60-minute facial and RMT message, a complimentary drink, and lunch sourced from a local restaurant.
Don’t have the time for a full-day retreat? Glow Spa offers a half-day escape package featuring a three-hour spa retreat, massage or facial, complimentary drink, and personalized charcuterie box.
Take the much-needed break you and your partner deserve at Glow Spa today.
Explore Kingston’s coffee shops
Multiple locations
Dotting Kingston is a plethora of gorgeous cafes where you can enjoy peppermint mochas and homemade baked goods while getting to know your date.
Crave Coffee House & Bakery (166 Princess Street) is a Kingston favourite with its rotating menu and unique latte flavors. Their rows upon rows of soft cookies and fresh tarts are irresistible. Share one with your date or gobble it up yourself. We don’t judge.
Just west of Crave Coffee House & Bakery is Balzac’s Coffee Roasters (251 Princess Street) decorated with yellow accents and a large marble coffee bar. Sit in front of Balzac’s large windows with your partner, watch the snow fall, and catch up over a cup of coffee.
If you want a change of scenery, head to The Juniper Cafe (370 King Street West), overlooking Kingston’s icy waterfront. The intimate cafe dotted with plants and rustic wooden tables is the perfect place to lean in close and learn about your date’s interests.
Snowshoe or cross-country ski at Little Cataraqui Creek
1641 Perth Road
Escape the dirty, dreary winter slush and hit the powered, white trails at Little Cataraqui Creek this winter.
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area offers hourly snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals. Strap on your snowshoes or skis and glide over the snow while admiring the snow-covered tree tops and winter wildlife.
Only 15 minutes from downtown Kingston, make Little Cataraqui Creek your date spot.
