Three Calgary Ecofriendly Date Ideas: Love the Earth, and your date

Dinner and a movie, mini golf, drinks on a patio; all are good dates, don’t get me wrong, but you can do better. Pulling off an amazing date while being eco-friendly is just that much more impressive and it adds a mindfulness aspect overall. The possibilities are endless for combining conservation and romance, but I have added a few of my personal favorites.

1. Farmers Market (Eco-friendly food)

My boyfriend and I probably theme 75% of our dates around food, our first date was chicken-on-the-way, and we love trying the new and the local. Farmers market’s are always filled with both. In these summer months there are markets in all corners of the city and I recently got to explore the market at Granary road. My recommendations: Lucs sausage, Authentic El Pastor Tacos and The Chocolate Lab. However, if you want a little more romance buying fresh produce from a farmers market and going home to cook together is always a classic movie scene-esque activity.

2. Bike Rides

Unfortunately Granary Road is forty five minutes from my house so my second date idea never takes me to that specific location, however bike riding is still an amazing way to get out in the sun, see some sites and spend some quality time with your special someone. Finally you can ride off into the sunset, just on a bike not a white horse. You can turn your date into the tour de France. Or my favorite, you can host a local turned tourist bike tour; there is always something to be discovered even in your hometown. Starting in a neighborhood such as Kensington can take you from brunch at Red’s Diner to coffee at Higher Ground that you can drink at Pages or Peacock Boutique, working up an appetite biking across the peace bridge into Prince's Island Park and back for drinks at The Container Bar and dinner at the Brasserie. This is just one combination in one neighborhood, the world is your oyster as long as you are pedaling.

3. Picnic

Now to add both ideas together plus a bit more; biking with some produce you picked up at the farmers market to one of the many parks Calgary has to offer for a picnic. Once you are there to provide some friendly competition there is Frisbee, catch or for the most eco friendly option, see who can collect the most pieces of litter. The winner can choose their reward accordingly; that nights board game pick, breakfast in bed, anything is possible.

Going on dates is something that most people do, but not everyone is mindful about being sustainable at the same time. Doing good makes you feel good and it is harder to look back on a date that left you feeling good and not hope for a second one. The list could go on and on, but if you have any specific ones that you would suggest we would love to hear from you and I hope this list leads to an adventure, some smiles and a small improvement to the world around us.