Valentine's Day With Cockroaches? It's a Thing Right Here In Virginia.

Valentine’s Day may be the quintessential “corporate holiday,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with it. It’s 2020, and let’s face it, a box of Russell Stover and a rose from the grocery store just isn’t going to cut it anymore. 

So, if you’re looking for some creative ways to celebrate the holiday, we’ve got you covered. Virginia is, after all, for lovers.

Watch a rocket launch.

Why settle for dinner at a restaurant when you can show your beau that they are “out of this world?” While you would have to skip work to pull this one off, it just might be worth it.

Initially scheduled for this past Sunday, the Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket launch to the International Space Station has been rescheduled for Friday at 3:43 PM.

If you’d like to watch it, the Wallops NASA Visitor Center will be open starting at 11:30 AM.

Name a cockroach after your Valentine

Well, they do say cockroaches would survive the apocalypse, so maybe it’s a great way to show your everlasting love. This year, the Science Museum of Western Virginia is granting people the chance to name one of their Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches after your Valentine. All of the money raised by the museum will go towards the museum’s various animal displays. 

Show your love on a billboard

Lynchburg’s SouthEastern Sign Company is helping people share the love this Valentine’s Day by offering to put couples’ photos on their billboards. Simply head over to their Facebook page to submit a photo of you and your loved one.

Get your card stamped at the Valentines’ Post Office

Valentines, Virginia only has a population of roughly 600 people, but its U.S. Post Office sees a surge every year on Valentine’s Day. If you stop in, you can have your letter stamped with a heart-shaped postmark that says ‘Valentines, VA.’ It’s a tradition dating back to 1950 when former postmaster William Henry Valentine first created the stamps.

Watch a heart dissection at the Science Museum of Virginia

If your partner isn’t the squeamish type, the Science Museum of Virginia is offering several live dissections of sheep’s hearts this Valentine’s Day. There will be a show at 10:30 AM, 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM.

According to a release from the museum, “a four-chambered sheep heart is close to the same size and functions in the same manner as a human heart.” Romantic AND educational!