Charm Your Valentine with this Budget-Friendly Eugene Date

Love is priceless, but your date doesn’t have to be. Here’s a guide to a last-minute romantic evening in Eugene for under $50

Fern Peva • February 14, 2025

Stephanie Yang/Daily Emerald

Valentine’s Day can be stressful. You want to impress that special someone but don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on a date. Don’t worry — I’ve got you covered. This date will cost less than $50 and leave your Valentine feeling truly romanced.

You’ll kick off your date at 5 p.m. browsing at Eugene Jeans, a local gem packed with thoughtfully curated vintage clothing. With affordable prices and unique pieces, this spot lets you and your date get lost in the racks searching for the perfect find.

“I love it here. I can get lost for hours and hours and never get bored. The vibe is so fun and I always find something awesome,” Rene Rankin, a Eugene Jeans customer, said.

Next, you and your date will walk to the Art House. This historic building, once the Bijou Art Cinemas, is a former church that now hosts live music and movie screenings. On Valentine’s Day, you can catch the 6 p.m. showing of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” for $12.50 per ticket. Art House is small and intimate, offering alcoholic beverages and freshly baked sweet treats. It is a cozy and exciting location all wrapped up in one building.

By the end of the movie, you and your date will have worked up an appetite. You’ll walk about 10 minutes (just enough time to charm your date with some interesting anecdotes) to Za Cart Pizza for slices of pizza. The slices range from $4 to $6 and include a rotating specialty flavor as well as classics like cheese and pepperoni.

“It’s my go-to pizza place in Eugene. I used to live in New York and the big slices with a thin crust always bring a smile to my face,” Danny Henson, a Za Cart regular, said.

To wrap up your romantic evening, you’ll jump in the car and drive to the Ridgeline entrance near Spencer Butte, where you and your date can gaze at the stars. This free activity is sure to make you both feel like the main characters in your own love story. To make this even more fun, try downloading a stargazing app to identify the different constellations above you.

This Valentine’s Day, you can sweep your date off their feet for less than $50. Get ready to be your date’s knight in shining armor, while exploring some of Eugene’s best spots.