Valentine’s Day in the Willmar Lakes Area

By Bailey Hovland

With hearts littering the aisles of area grocery stores (in chocolate form), popping up on coffee shop menus, and showing up in advertisements on social media feeds, one thing could not be more clear: Valentine’s Day is almost here. And with all of these hearts comes the never-ending search for the perfect gift that will show your significant other a little extra love on this special day.

A chocolatier’s work is never done, especially this close to Valentine’s Day. One hard worker makes sure there is plenty of chocolate to choose from for all those celebrating this lovely holiday.

Start your search at Mr. B’s Chocolates, the Willmar Lakes Area’s very own chocolatier. Peruse display after display filled with the very essence of our modern Valentine’s Day. Invest in a Truffle Collection, a delectable arrangement of handmade, hand-rolled chocolates ranging from 9- to 47-piece box sets. Your loved one is sure to appreciate the wide range of flavors, from raspberry to coffee to dark chocolate to rum. And if rum-filled chocolate is more to their liking, pick up Mr. B’s Valentine’s Booze Box Collection, complete with the fixings of Brandy Cherry, Kahlua n’ Cream, and Amaretto By Morning. Or you can always stick with the traditional heart-shaped box of chocolates, a safe gift for any chocolate lover.

After satisfying the sweet tooth of your special someone, you can stop over at Stacy’s Nursery and seek out a floral arrangement that says, “I Love You,” “Be Mine,” or any other cute phrase you might see in a box of conversation hearts. Sweep them off their feet with a bouquet of timeless, classic red roses. With a traditional dozen you’ll get twelve lovely, premium long-stem roses for your

Red roses will never go out of style, proving that they’re the perfect gift to get at Stacy’s Nursery for your loved one.

significant other. If you’d rather be a little more original, choose from their vast array of floral arrangements, from gorgeous yellow rose bouquets to small succulent gardens punctuated with bursts of floral color.

Now that you’ve loaded up on chocolates and handpicked the perfect bouquet, you can finally stop for the main event—a heart-shaped pizza from Jake’s. Located in the historic downtown of Willmar, Jake’s Pizza is a local favorite any day of the year, but especially when they’re offering heart-shaped pizzas to celebrate the day of love. Whether you like veggies, pepperoni, or extra cheese on your pizza, Jake’s will whip up a delicious pie that’ll be the perfect date night food for a cozy night in.

So skip the restaurant reservations, the giant teddy bears, and impersonal gift cards this Valentine’s Day, and head straight for the classic combination sure to make your evening a success. Armed with chocolate, flowers, pizza, and a whole lot of love, your significant other will assuredly feel special and appreciated this Valentine’s Day thanks to some wonderful local businesses in the Willmar Lakes Area.

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