For those in search of the perfect Valentine’s date night during a pandemic, Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus has planned a way for couples to enjoy a unique experience that pairs a lantern-lit snowshoe through the winter woods with a take home gourmet three-course meal prepared by Chef Luke Szabo of Scratch Farmhouse Catering.
On February 13th, couples can choose a 6:00-7:00pm or 7:00-8:00pm snowshoeing time slot. Guests will be provided with snowshoes and a vintage kerosene lantern before venturing out on the trail to enjoy quiet moments immersed in the evening woods and stopping to read romantic notes hidden along the way. Couples will end their hike at the pavilion where they will pick up a gourmet Valentine dinner to take home and enjoy. The menu includes an appetizer, salad, three entree choices, and a sweet dessert crafted by Chef Luke Szabo of Scratch Farmhouse Catering Guests can even add a little extra delicious gift to the evening and order a Meat & Cheese Bouquet – a popular Valentine’s Day lagniappe offered by Scratch Farmhouse Catering.
For many years, Sweetheart Snowshoe has been a popular annual program at Baltimore Woods. In its traditional format, it includes dessert and coffee inside the Interpretive Center after a moonlit snowshoe walk. Baltimore Woods Nature Center staff have spent the past ten months transforming many of their programs to keep the community connected to nature throughout the pandemic, and this year, collaborating with long-time community partner, Scratch Farmhouse Catering, to create a full-blown dinner date experience was a natural fit to provide couples with a new way to celebrate the holiday.
“In a time when so many people are re-imagining what their special occasions look like, we thought this was a perfect way to keep one of our most popular programs going and help people connect to nature, and each other. Not only is it a new way to celebrate, but it also helps to support one of our local community partners,” said Whitney Lash-Marshall, Executive Director at Baltimore Woods Nature Center. Chef Luke Szabo, owner of Scratch Farmhouse Catering has designed and prepared delicious seasonally inspired meals for many Baltimore Woods Nature Center events over the years.
To register for the Sweetheart Snowshoe & Gourmet Dinner event, visit baltimorewoods.org. The cost for the evening is $85 per couple. Spaces are limited and advance registration is required. All guests will be required to adhere to current health and safety protocols.
