Get ready for a sweetheart of a destination just 45 minutes north of Denver with these 5 reasons (with more reasons added each year) to make Loveland. Colorado events for your Valentine’s Day destination. Loveland transforms into Colorado’s romantic getaway of the season in February. Known as the nation’s Sweetheart City, in Loveland, Valentine’s Day is more than a day. It is a 2-day, action-packed event with romance and fun during the Loveland Sweetheart Festival – Love Locks and Lights. (And did we mention it’s FREE?!)
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and buy, TravelingInHeels will get a small commission. Thank you for your support!
5 Reasons to LOVE Loveland Sweetheart Festival
Table of Contents
For 74 years now, Loveland has offered its valentine re-mailing program. For those who prefer romance in person, spoil your sweetheart with live music, craft beer, coffee, romantic overnight stays, love, love notes, and love locks. And if you can’t (or don’t want) to leave the kids at home, how about an adventure on Snowzilla Jr., the only inflatable toboggan slide?
All this and more in America’s Sweetheart City, Loveland, Colorado and all for free at the newly imagined romantic weekend, launched in 2019 and returning in 2020, the Loveland Sweetheart Festival – Love Locks and Lights.
When and where is the Loveland Sweetheart Festival?
When: February 14 from 5 – 9 PM and February 15 from 2 – 9 PM
Where: Downtown Loveland
Imagine romantic heart-shaped love notes on lamp posts. Declaring your affection in a love lock. Art and sculpture at every turn. Local craft brews are transformed into a love potion. And the newly launched in 2019 Loveland Sweetheart Festival – Love Locks and Lights. The year’s Loveland Colorado events again feature something for everyone – families, couples, beer, and chocolate lovers, running lovers, art lovers, those who have lost a loved one, and forever loves. Which really means this is truly a celebration of “love” for all ages.
We give you these 5 reasons (and a few more!) to LOVE Loveland Sweetheart Festival for your Valentine’s Celebration.
Loveland Sweetheart Festival – Love Locks and Lights

From Feb. 14-15, 2020, U.S.’s Sweetheart City just this annual celebration of romance with the launch of the inaugural Loveland Sweetheart Festival – Love Locks and Lights. For more than 70 years, Loveland has embraced sweethearts near and far and invites families and lovers across the world to gather in downtown Loveland to celebrate Valentine’s season for free!
This festival not only celebrates love, but it also celebrates the city’s rich history as the nation’s Sweetheart City and one of the top small art communities in the nation through art installations, attractions, and contests.
Love Lock Sculptures

Last year, Loveland presented another new celebration of romance when introducing the largest love lock sculptures in the U.S., produced by longtime Loveland resident, Doug Rutledge. This 10-foot-tall, 30-foot-wide steel LOVE sculpture weighed 24,000 pounds. Attendees honored their loved ones by purchasing a customizable love lock ($20 at visitors’ center) to lock on the sculpture and this new tradition continues.
This year, Loveland unveiled its second love lock sculpture located in the Foundry Plaza downtown for six weeks, through the Sweetheart Festival. After that, its permanent location will be along the south shore of Lake Loveland near the American flag and Statue of Liberty sculpture. The 12-foot-3-inch-tall, 14-foot-3-inch-wide steel sculpture is a simple, heart design created and constructed right in Loveland, again by Doug Rutledge.

Love locks sell for $20 at the Loveland Visitors Center, or visitors can bring their own. Locks will also be for purchase during the Sweetheart Festival in the 4th Street Gallery. The love locks can be customized with a paint pen or hand carving to include names and dates of those locking their love.
What are love locks?
A symbol of love and commitment, Chinese ancient custom inspired love locks, where lovers lock a padlock on a chain or gate and then throw away the key, symbolically locking their love forever. Loveland Sweetheart Festival is the perfect place to express your love with your own love lock.
Spoil your Sweetheart with an Overnight Stay in the Sweetheart City
Create a romantic vacation for you and your sweetheart with these Valentine places to stay in or around Loveland.
The Townplace Suites by Marriott – Loveland’s first downtown hotel – has a “Leave the key to your heart in Loveland” hotel package for valentine weekend. In addition to a one night’s stay in a luxurious suite and complimentary breakfast buffet, guests will receive a bottle of Champagne, a sweet treat, discounted movie tickets, and a love lock to place on Loveland’s two love lock sculptures.

Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch Romantic Sweetheart Getaway packages include a one- or two-night bunk and breakfast package Feb. 14-16 in a cozy fireplace cabin at the ranch complete with a dinner for two, hearty ranch-style breakfasts and access to 3,000 acres of hiking trails, game courts, game room, and horseshoe pits. Trail rides will also be available by reservation, weather depending.
Custom Love and Love Notes on Lamp Posts

It’s a romantic road trip anywhere you turn in Loveland. Gant red hearts with love notes hang on lampposts, and red and white twinkling lights line downtown when Loveland transforms for this romantic holiday. Make it a very special Valentine and order your own love note. Then search the city with your sweetheart to make the day extra special.
Experience the Nation’s Largest Valentine Program

For 74 years, Loveland has been the nation’s home for Valentine’s Day. Visit in early February and experience the internationally recognized Valentine program. Bring your valentines to receive a special message from the Sweetheart City by their of our ‘angels on earth’ who lovingly hand-stamp valentines from all over the world each year.

To learn more about this historic program while in Loveland, take a walk through the extensive Valentine’s Day exhibit at the Loveland Museum/Gallery to explore Loveland’s fun valentine history.
More to Love during the Sweetheart Festival in Downtown Loveland, Colorado

Additional festival highlights include:
-
Art installations and interactive art displays, including a lit-up 25-foot heart and a display of the complete Loveland With HeART collection
-
A mapping projection laser show each night
-
Sweetheart Love Art Show at the 4th Street Gallery
-
For the Love of Chocolate, Beer and Wine tastings including local valentine beer Bleeding Heart (a delicious Baltic Porter brewed with Blackberry and Tart Cherry), produced by Grimm Brothers.
- Sweet Heart Winery in Loveland has produced Loveland’s first official valentine wine – a Valentine’s Day 2020 special edition 2017 malbec
-
Snowzilla Jr., the only inflatable toboggan slide in the U.S. and Canada – adults and children will both love!
-
Sweetheart Classic 4 Miler
-
Light the Lovely Luminarias exhibit to honor lost loved ones
-
Bands & other musical performances
- Photo booth with digital gif videos emailed to you
And for the kids:

- Little Miss Valentine and Little Mr. Cupid contest (children up to age 4)
-
Photo booth with Princesses
-
Face painting
- Fire hula-hooper
Click here for the schedule of events.
We’ve got more than 5 Reasons to Make Loveland Your Valentine’s Destination. What’s your favorite reason to visit America’s sweetheart City? Share with us in the comments below.
This is too cute! I guess if your town is called Loveland you have to OWN Valentines day! We need post Christmas festivals and fun. To survive that long, boring winter!
All cities should do this, if only to capitalize on the social media opps! I love how they even decorated the lamp posts!
I know — it’s so cute. Romantic yet somehow maintains its family friendly atmosphere.
This festival looks like a lot of fun. I love the Denver area and there are so many day trips you can take from there.
The world needs more love! The custom Valentine’s done by those lovely people is a fabulous program.
This is adorable! I didn’t know anything about Loveland, Colorado.
I’ve never heard of this place, but I love this post including the sweet picture of the folks who stamp valentine’s envelopes from people all over the world.
A very timely post..! Will have to give Valentines some thought.
Comments are closed.