The nation’s Sweetheart City, Loveland, Colorado, just gets sweeter with its Sweetheart Festival. For more than 77 years, Loveland has embraced sweethearts near and far. The city invites families and lovers across the world to gather in the downtown Foundry Plaza on Friday & Saturday, February 10 & 11, 2023.
Bring the family or your sweetheart (or both) for free fun.
In between the four indoor event venues, stroll through the Valentine Flea local art market or the tunnel of love, enjoy the Foundry community plaza with local performances, food trucks, and kids’ activities.
Go through the “Arts Alive” block with interactive art demos including live ice sculpting, bronze demos, or paint your own tile for the Loveland community mural.
Join the Sweetheart Classic 4-miler race on Saturday, or participate in the Little Miss Valentine and Little Mr. Cupid contest.
Cap off your experience by watching the projection mapping light show on the historic Feed and Grain Building or enjoy a headlining concert at the Rialto Theater.
The lovely affair runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday.
Highlights of the Sweetheart Festival include:
Foundry Community Plaza
- Kids activities including games, snowball fights, art activities, penguin ring toss and more.
- Performance stage featuring local dancers, singers and performers.
- Food trucks
- Neon Selfie Walls
- Face Painting
- Colorado Eagles Shoot Booth
- Loveland Parks and Recreation Yard Heart make and take station.
Arts Alive Block
Live art demonstrations on the hour including:
- Amy Joy Hosterman of Stinky Cheese Ceramics Raku Firing pottery
- Live Ice Sculpting
- Loveland Creates Booth with Sweetheart Festival commemorative art collectors items for sale.
- Purchase a pint glass , sticker or poster with this year’s art and take your collectors item to local businesses in the month of February to receive a discount. Collect each year’s item.
- Join artist Scott Freeman to paint your very own tile. The tiles are then assembled after the festival to create a 15 x 20 foot painting on one of the downtown buildings.
Valentine Flea Art Market
Shop 35+ vendors along Third Street.
Projection Mapping Light Show on the Historic Feed and Grain Building
Presented by Ent Credit Union by Waveform.exp on both Friday and Saturday nights played every 30 minutes starting at 5:30 p.m. until festival close.
Loveland Museum Venue
- Grab a beer or wine and browse the John Mellencamp: Paintings and Assemblages while listening to live music.
- Check out the Thompson School District Art Show featuring the top artwork from each school in the district.
- Participate in free workshops and activities on Saturday. Individual workshops to be announced.
- The museum will also feature the Loveland History of the Valentine and Valentines Day in the Sweetheart City.
Loveland love locks / Visit Loveland photo
Artworks Center for Contemporary Art
Enjoy Art Installations while sipping on local libations as you enjoy the lineup of awesome local live music.
Little Miss Valentine and Little Mr. Cupid Contest
Children ages 0-4 can dress up, ham it up on stage for a chance to win prizes. Dress your little Miss Valentine in all things LOVE or your little Mr. Cupid like the winged god of love and compete for the title. There are two different age categories: 0 to 2 and 3 to 4-year-olds. Contestants will be judged on creativity of costume and personality. All contestants receive a gift.
Love Locks
The Loveland Visitors Center will be at the festival with love locks for sale. Buy a lock and engrave it for FREE, then head over to one of the two love lock sculptures to hang your lock.