Hey Weekenders ❄️
Valentine’s weekend is here and the calendar is packed. From wine‑and‑chocolate tastings to rummage treasures and makers markets, we’ve rounded up the best ways to get out of the house and enjoy a (mostly) cozy February weekend close to home. Plus, with the Winter Olympics underway, we slipped in some chill trivia to keep you entertained between events and errands.
Whether you’re planning a full date night, a family outing, or just a solo stroll with a good coffee, there’s something in here with your name on it. Let’s dive into what’s happening around South Jersey.
Top Events
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🌸 Valentines/Galentines Day Build a Bouquet – Rancocas Woods (Mt. Laurel)
Saturday, February 14 - 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Spend the day wandering Rancocas Woods, picking up a different stem at participating shops as you go, and head home with a build‑your‑own bouquet that’s part Valentine’s, part souvenir. It’s an easy Galentines, mother‑daughter date, or “treat yourself” outing with plenty of chances to shop small along the way.
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🍫 Mullica Hill Chocolate Walk – Mullica Hill
Saturday, February 13 - 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Main Street turns into a chocolate trail for the 9th Annual Mullica Hill Chocolate Walk. Grab your passport, pop into participating shops for sweet samples and surprises, and see how many stops you can hit before your sugar quota taps out.
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🌙 Venus Moon’s Valentine’s Soirée – Glendora
Saturday, February 13 - 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM
Venus Moon is turning its crystal warehouse into a Valentine’s Soirée with all the cozy, witchy vibes. Expect thousands of crystals, celestial decor, and a space that feels more like a cosmic lounge than a shop—a fun twist on the usual dinner‑and‑a‑movie date or a magical Galentines night out.
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🛍 Shop, Sip & Stroll – Haddon Township
Friday–Sunday, February 13–15 - Times vary by business
Haddon Township’s Shop, Sip & Stroll weekend is your built‑in last‑minute Valentine’s helper. Local businesses are offering gift ideas, specials, and pop‑ups, so you can wander the avenue, support your favorites, and call it a date night (or Galentines) while you cross errands off the list.
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🍨✨ Dine & Design (Dolce Vita Gelato)
Sunday, February 15th | 4:00PM | Sewell, NJ
Dessert + a creative activity = a perfect combo 🍦✨ Dine & Design is happening at Dolce Vita Gelato, making it a fun winter event for couples, friends, or anyone looking for something different to do on a cold Sunday afternoon. Show up hungry, grab a sweet treat, and enjoy a fun hands-on experience.
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🚜 Farm on Point Pop‑Up Market – Vincentown
February 13th- 15th - 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Farm on Point is opening the doors for a special pop‑up market while they get ready for a full reopen in April. The freezers are fully stocked with farm‑raised Wagyu and Angus beef, and they’ll also have your favorite milk and sourdough on hand, plus specials and bundle packages running all weekend. It’s an easy countryside stop for stocking the fridge and grabbing a little fresh‑air time at 2195 Route 206 in Vincentown.
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🍷 Wine & Chocolate Weekend – Autumn Lake Winery, Williamstown
Friday–Sunday, February 13–15
Autumn Lake is celebrating Valentine’s with a Wine & Chocolate Weekend featuring curated pairing flights. Choose red or white, sample four wines matched with four chocolates, and linger with live music and food trucks on the property—great for dates, double dates, or a friends‑only sweets run.
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🕯 Valentine’s Candle Workshop – Bellview Winery, Landisville
Friday, February 13 - 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
At Bellview’s Valentine’s Candle Workshop, you’ll pour two large mason‑jar candles, customize your scent, and design your own labels while you sip your first included drink. It’s a fun, hands‑on date or girls’ night that sends you home with candles that keep the cozy going long after Valentine’s Day.
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🔍 Love at Moulin Rouge Murder Mystery Dinner – Villari’s Lakeside, Gloucester Township
Saturday, February 14 - 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Villari’s Lakeside is turning Valentine’s into a full whodunit with Love at Moulin Rouge, a themed murder mystery dinner that’s part date night, part live‑action Clue. You’ll get a complimentary champagne toast, a multi‑course dinner (including a pasta flight and choice of entrée), and a chance to crack the case before dessert hits the table. It’s a great pick if you want more drama and laughs than a standard prix‑fixe reservation this weekend.
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Paint N’ Cake Decorating – Wicked Edition (Haddon Heights)
Sunday, February 15th 11:00 AM
Channel your inner Glinda or Elphaba at Paint‑A‑Treasure’s Paint N’ Cake Decorating workshop with Tis So Sweet Bakery. On Sunday, February 15 at 11 a.m., you’ll paint your own “good” or “wicked” figurine and then decorate a matching themed cake, complete with plenty of colorful frosting and fun details. It’s a great pick for Broadway fans, crafty kids, or anyone who loves a hands‑on, sugar‑filled outing in Haddon Heights.
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❄️🏔 Olympic Fun Facts
Milano‑Cortina & Beyond
Two host cities, one Games. The 2026 Winter Olympics are split between Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with events stretched across a big swath of northern Italy instead of one compact host city.
Old venues getting new life. Cortina’s Olympic Ice Stadium first hosted the Opening Ceremony and figure skating back in 1956; in 2026 it’s being reused for curling and the Paralympic Closing Ceremony.
Racing on a historic track. The new Cortina Sliding Centre for bobsled, luge, and skeleton is built on the grounds of a former track named after Italian bobsled legend and two‑time Olympic gold medalist Eugenio Monti.
Stoat‑ally cute mascot. This year’s official mascot is Tina, a playful stoat whose name comes from “Cortina.” She joins a long line of Winter Olympic mascots that have included white tigers, polar bears, and even a trio named Powder, Coal, and Copper in Salt Lake City 2002.
Italy’s 20‑year comeback. Milano‑Cortina 2026 is Italy’s first Winter Olympics in 20 years, since the 2006 Games in Turin.
Historic
The Winter Olympics started in 1924 in Chamonix, France, with about 250 athletes from 16 countries competing in just 16 events.
At those first Games, American skater Charles Jewtraw won the very first Winter Olympic gold medal in the men’s 500m speed skating.
Norway has become the Winter Olympics powerhouse, sitting at the top of the all‑time medal table ahead of the United States and Germany.
In 1964 Innsbruck, there wasn’t enough snow, so the Austrian army hauled in more than 38,000 cubic meters of snow and 20,000 blocks of ice from nearby mountains to keep the Games going.
The 1988 Calgary Games were the first Winter Olympics to stretch over three weekends and the first to hold speed skating indoors, which helped produce new world records.
By 1998 Nagano, the Winter Games had passed 2,000 athletes for the first time and featured NHL players in Olympic hockey, plus the debut of women’s ice hockey as a medal event.
Current Medal Count
🌟 Local Spotlight 🌟
Jersey Java & Tea Co.
Right on North Haddon Ave, Jersey Java & Tea Co. is the kind of neighborhood coffee shop that makes you want to linger a little longer. Family‑owned and operated for more than a decade, they brew coffee from a Medford Lakes roaster, bake treats in‑house, and recently landed on USA Today’s Top 10 independent coffee shops list nationwide—coming in at No. 7. Between the cozy indoor seating, umbrella‑covered patio, and a menu that runs from espresso and specialty teas to grab‑and‑go sandwiches and pastries, it’s an easy stop before a stroll through downtown Haddonfield or a quick laptop session between errands.
That’s a wrap on this week’s South Jersey Weekender. If you hit any of these events—score a great antique, discover a new favorite brewery, or finally try that local spot you keep driving past—send us a quick note and a photo so we can share the love in a future issue.
If you’re watching the Games, keep an eye on Milano‑Cortina and impress your crew with those Winter Olympics fun facts. If you’re just here for the local vibes, we’ve got plenty more coming your way next week. Forward this to a friend who’s always asking “what’s going on this weekend?” and we’ll see you around South Jersey.
Let’s Make 2026 A Great Year!
– Tyler and the SJW Crew