Not your typical date night: Alternative ways to spend Valentine’s Day in DC

District Doughnut and local florist Ash & Oak teamed up to offer a sweet treat for your Valentine. (Courtesy District Doughnut) (Courtesy District Doughnut )

WASHINGTON — It can be the best of times, it can be the worst of times.

Let’s face it — whether you’re planning something for your significant other, spending the day with other loved ones or just wallowing in your singleness this year, Valentine’s Day and the planning leading up to it can be stressful.

The typical dinner and movie is overplayed and overpriced. Staying in and binge-watching Netflix … humdrum.

Luckily, there are a host of Valentine’s Day activities in the D.C. area this year — and some that are not exclusively for those who are coupled up. Find some of the more uncommon ways to spend your Valentine’s Day with the gallery below.

The Sally at The Fairfax at Embass Row. (Courtesy Jim Tetro) — **For the bitterly single** Have you ever had a few drinks and cried while looking at photos of your ex? Me neither. But for the rest of the folks who have, The SALLY at The Fairfax at Embassy Row has a great solution that will help “let the memory of your ex go to shreds.” Just don’t forget to bring your ex’s photos. Single at The SALLY: Shred Your Ex runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Valentine’s Day and features a bar-top shredder for those dreaded ex-photos and offers $5 on-tap beers and wines. Anyone who orders two shared plates (no judgment if they’re both for you) will receive a complimentary dessert called “The Broken Heart.” Also featured: “The Heartbreaker” cocktail with prosecco, cherry liqueur, cherries and vodka. *Photo shows a seating area at the Sally at The Fairfax at Embassy Row.* (Courtesy Jim Tetro)

District Doughnut and local florist Ash & Oak teamed up to offer a sweet treat for your Valentine. (Courtesy District Doughnut) — **For the doughnut lover** Sometimes, fellas, flowers alone won’t fit the bill. If you’re looking for something sweeter for your sweetheart, District Doughnuts has partnered up with D.C.-area florist Ash to Oak for the perfect gift: a box of doughnuts wrapped in a beautiful ribbon, a personalized note and a flower or bouquet of flowers. The Box of Chocolates includes four chocolate doughnuts selected by Chef Christine while the Conversation Hearts Minis option is a dozen mini doughnuts with various glazes and topped with a colorful conversation heart topper. *Ash to Oak bouquets paired with a box of doughnuts are photographed.* (Courtesy District Doughnut)

**For the fearless lovers** “My Bloody Valentine” event is a self-guided tour through Shocktober’s haunted, 32-room Paxton Manor in Leesburg, Virginia, during the weekend after Valentine’s Day. The theme? A Valentine’s Day Dance Massacre that is sure to spook you into your lover’s (or friends) arms. Leesburg-based Tarara Winery is partnering up with the event to produce the featured “My Bloody Valentine Wine.” The event benefits The Arc of Loudoun, a nonprofit that serves people with disabilities. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 15 and 16. Tickets are sold online or at the door. Discounted tickets are only available online. (Courtesy Shocktober/Morgan Payne)

**For the happily single** Those celebrating Single Person’s Awareness Day will be happy to find the return of Lonely Heart’s Club to Hank’s Oyster Bar. It won’t be a pity party in the Dupont Circle bar and restaurant. In fact, patrons can write anonymous love letters to themselves (or others) on paper hearts that will be posted throughout the room. Continue the self-love with signature cocktails like “I’m the One,” “Vodka costs less than dinner for two,” “I tolerate you” and more. Got leftover clothing from your ex? Bring them over to the party for a charitable donation to Martha’s Table. (Courtesy Hank’s Oyster Bar)

For those in the mood to “Macarena” Whether single or coupled up, DC Fray is hosting the dance party that will throw it all the way back to the 90s. The event’s website says it’s more than just a dance party, but an immersive show that will have “live performers navigating you through your own high school movie.” There will be a live DJ, a cash bar and appetizers. The dance party kicks off at 7 p.m. at Saint Francis Hall. Get your tickets online. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File