Here in the North Bay, it’s safe to say that the holidays are well and truly underway. And for some lucky-in-love locals, this relentlessly festive late-fall vibe can only mean one thing: It’s time to curate a “holidate.”
For those who can’t be bothered to parse a portmanteau, “holidate” is the offspring of “holiday” and “date.” Oh, but it’s so much more. It’s a special kind of romantic outing that can only occur during December when the festive fairy lights are on full display and the long, cold nights invite a certain je ne sais quoi that combines to become this quintessential holiday date experience. In fact, it’s one that’s so gosh darned good that it has its own movie genre (thanks, Hallmark and Lifetime channels).
“But wait, how do I take my other half on a holidate so great, it’ll knock their stockings clean off?” one may ask.
Worry not—this is another frequently asked question and one that comes with an easy answer.
Simply “bundle up” for the chilly California winter weather and head out to the city of San Rafael for a day or night of sheer wintertime dating delight. In and around San Rafael, countless opportunities for some curated romantic moments are all around.
To make that San Rafael holidate happen, start by tasting a few offerings from the restaurants and bars scattered across the city (especially downtown). And nothing says seasonal love quite like taking in the view…of one’s significant other, of course. Plus, there are some pretty sights all up and down the San Francisco Bay Trail too, which is an ideal trail for taking in the bay with the bae.
San Rafael also offers a wide array of specially curated events to help celebrate the holiday season—inclusively and ever-so-festively. The city-wide elf hunt event, for instance, is a playful annual tradition in San Rafael that can add a spark of something fun to any seasonal date.
On Dec. 16, San Rafael’s canal will be aglow with various buoyant lights during the Lighted Boat Parade. This year’s parade promises almost 100 boats sparkling up and down the water of the San Rafael Canal… It would be a crime not to integrate a citywide parade of lights into a perfectly romantic date night.
Speaking of pretty lights, San Rafael offers yet another bright and sparkly holidate destination at the Northgate Mall’s light show. To really make that date as luminous as can be, simply come out and take in the 125,000-light ensemble spread across seven separate rooms.
And if all of San Rafael’s offerings don’t live up to those incredibly high holidate expectations, consider taking a nine-minute drive from the heart of San Rafael to Ross, where the Marin Art and Garden Center’s Winter Wonderland will be in full swing. There, romantically-included holidaters can find an outdoor skating rink, hot drinks, pretty lights and a fair few nooks and crannies to cozy up and escape the cold.
Singles need not despair this holiday season, for there is nothing sweeter than a holidate to start off the love that will last a lifetime. Maybe it will be a meet-cute along the banks of the San Rafael Canal during the light parade…or perhaps by chance at the Jingle Mingle – Singles Holiday Party on Dec. 8 at Bogie’s Too.
Who knows when the holidays will bring that twist of fate—the kind that turns single people into the New Year’s most sappy, happy and lovesick couple.
