My wife and I went to Leu Gardens Date Night on Friday evening and had a blast. The movie was “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, but the night was more about enjoying each other’s company and a simple dinner picnic in the amazing outdoor setting that is Leu Gardens.

We weren’t alone, however. I’d guess 600 or 700 people - grouped in varying numbers with picnic setups of all types - were camped out on the lawn by sunset. Even so, the atmosphere was very relaxed and offered a feeling of community that I find rare in our vacation destination of a city. The evening was so nice that we will be putting Date Night on our schedule permanently.

If you’ve never been to a Date Night, I highly recommend that you plan to attend soon. Date Nights occur on the first Friday of each month (weather permitting) and cost $7 per person ($2 per child), or free if you’re a Leu Gardens member.

Here are some things to bring:

• Blanket or low-sitting lawn chairs
• Picnic basket (anything you want, including alcohol)
• Camera (for photos of friends and the gardens)
• Bug spray or citronella candle
• Friends

NOTES: The photo above was taken about an hour and a half before the show. You’ll want to arrive at about 7pm in order to choose your spot. By the time the movie starts (8:30pm), there’s not much room to be had. Also, the bugs aren’t bad at all. We didn’t get a single bite and didn’t have either of the items listed above. Never hurts to prepare, though.

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