Loveland launches 79th Valentine observance

LOVELAND — Plans for the annual remailing, a group wedding and themed treats shared the spotlight Tuesday as Loveland officials unveiled details of the city’s 79th Valentine festivities.

Officers of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, Visit Loveland and their partners revealed the details and arrangements for the annual observance, which includes the valentine re-mailing program, the Sweetheart Festival, the Sweetheart Classic 4-mile race, a group wedding and Valentine-themed wine, beer, candy, cupcakes and coffee.

“We are excited to celebrate 79 years of sharing love worldwide,” Mindy McCloughan, president of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, said in a prepared statement. “Each year, the Valentine season in Loveland continues to captivate hearts. There’s no more meaningful way to spread love, joy and hope than through a heartfelt Valentine from the Sweetheart City. This year’s designs and messages reflect our ongoing dedication to kindness and connection. Continuing this cherished tradition is especially important as we remind the world that love is the most beautiful gift we can give and receive.”

The 2025 official Loveland Valentine card, collector’s stamp (also known as a cachet) and postmark were displayed at Tuesday’s news conference. The collector’s stamp and postmark will be stamped on every piece of mail that comes through the program. Loveland receives around 100,000 Valentines annually from all 50 states and 110 countries through its re-mailing program, the largest program of its kind. Sponsors and volunteers handstamp the collector’s stamp and postmark onto each individual Valentine that comes through the city’s post office.

The 2025 cachet artwork was designed by Corry McDowell and includes the following verse written by Jeanne Perrine:

“We can’t keep our LOVE inside,

So we spread HEARTS far and wide,

In Loveland’s embrace they abide,

To show where LOVE will always reside.”

To get the special 2025 collector’s envelope artwork and postmark, people are asked to package pre-addressed, pre-stamped Valentines in a larger first-class envelope and send it to Postmaster – Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland, CO 80538-9998. Once received, Valentines will be removed from the larger envelope and hand-stamped before being re-mailed to their intended recipients.

Official Valentine drop location sponsors include Independent Financial and Elevations Credit Union. Self-addressed, stamped Valentine envelopes can be dropped off at these locations, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, 5400 Stone Creek Circle, and the Loveland Post Office locations at 446 E. 29th St. and 601 Cleveland Ave.

The post office will accept Valentines to be dropped off in the red mailbox displayed in the lobby from Friday through Feb. 10.

Elevations members can get free stamps for their Valentines from Wednesday through Feb. 10 at its Loveland branch, 970 E. Eisenhower Blvd. The branch will have valentine/heart stamps for all members who would like to drop their valentines at the mailbox in the branch, but has limited the card dropoff to 20 per member.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, international mail should be sent by Jan. 29, valentines to the continental United States by Feb. 7 and cards to Colorado locations by Feb. 10 to reach their recipients by Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.

The 2025 collectible Valentine card, designed by Tiffany Villavicencio, features a heart shaped flurry of snowflakes. The card verse she wrote is:

“A winter wish this Valentine’s Day,

As snowflakes drift along their way.

Each flake unique, like the love we share,

From The Sweetheart City, showing we care.”

Valentine cards can be purchased online at Loveland.org for $12, which includes the card, printing, processing and postage). All cards purchased through Loveland.org will automatically go through the re-mailing program. The 2025 collectible cards may also be purchased in person at the Loveland Visitor Center, B Sweet Cupcakes, Olive and Herb, Columbine Drug, Club Loveland, Loveland Good Sam, Barnyard Vet & Pet Supply, Independent Financial, Loveland Museum & Gallery, Adams Bank & Trust and Rowes Flowers, as well as Safeway, King Soopers and Walmart locations in Loveland.

Valentine cards may be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Friday through Feb. 10 at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center as well as:

• Aims Community College, 104 E. Fourth St., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Independent Financial, 935 N. Cleveland Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday
• Elevations Credit Union, 970 E Eisenhower Blvd., 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday.
• The HUB Cafe by Fresh Plate, 6402 Union Creek Drive, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
• Barnyard Vet & Pet Supply, 806 14th St. SW, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

A total of 408 large Valentine hearts with love notes will soon be lining the streets of Loveland. The extremely visual display of love in the Sweetheart City is provided by Loveland’s Thompson Valley Rotary Club.

The Loveland Sweetheart Festival will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 14 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. along Fourth Street in downtown Loveland, including live entertainment, live music and a flea market featuring more than 30 vendors. Food trucks will provide food, beer, wine and sweet treats. Third Street in the Foundry Plaza will be home to children’s activities, a community stage, and a special QR code that unlocks exclusive promotions from downtown businesses.

Loveland Lights Live will be held Jan. 31 through Feb. 16 in the Centerra area, including a display of more than 300,000 lights Feb. 1-16 at Chapungu Sculpture Park. taking place from February 1-16. From 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 8, the area will feature a performance of dueling pianos.

At Blue Arena in The Ranch Events Complex, the Colorado Eagles minor-league hockey team will meet the San Jose Barracuda on Feb. 12 for their third annual Sweetheart Game. Fans can enter to win a team-signed jersey or one of 150 “Sweetheart City Packs” via Eagles social media beginning the last week in January to include two tickets to the game and a gift bag from Visit Loveland. Red and pink light-up sticks will be provided by the City of Loveland for the first 2,500 fans in attendance.

Loveland’s ninth annual group wedding and vow-renewal will be held at Sweet Heart Winery and Event Center, including music chosen by guests, a personalized ceremony, commemorative photos, gift bags, wedding cupcakes, a symbolic love lock for Loveland’s iconic LOVE or HEART sculptures, and a chance to win a huge gift basket and prizes. Cost is $150 per couple and registration is limited for the event, which is hosted by Big Deal Co. in partnership with the winery, Visit Loveland and the Loveland Chamber.

The 2025 Sweetheart Classic 4-miler race, presented by Redemption Church, will begin at 9 a.m. Feb. 15 with the start-finish line on the west end of Fourth Street between Railroad and Garfield avenues.

Hot-air balloon rides in the “Love Balloon” will be offered from 7 to 9 a.m. Feb. 15 at The Ranch Events Complex, 5280 Arena Circle. Cost is $25 per person and a signed waiver is required. Minimum age is 6, adults must be in relatively good health with no broken bones, no mobility issues, and no pregnancy. All rides are weather dependent.

Sweet Heart Winery will feature its cabernet sauvignon from Alexander Valley, California, Grimm Brothers Brewhouse will offer the 14th version of its Bleeding Heart beer, Colorado Candy Co. will offer cinnamon-flavored heart-shaped candy for sale at the visitor’s center and Centerra Hallmark, and B Sweet Cupcakes will show off its “Red Velvet Kiss” cupcake, described as “a light chocolate-infused red velvet cake swirled with cream cheese morsels, topped with airy vanilla cream cheese frosting, coated in heart red sugar and kissed with a chocolate.”

The Loveland Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Top of the Lake Coffee to produce the 2025 official Loveland Valentine coffee, Cinnamon Roll. Meanwhile, 10-year-old Kinzie Sargent is selling candles for a cause, with a portion of her sales revenue at the Loveland Visitor’s Center going to the House of Neighborly Service.

A new feature, the Namaqua Heart, was added to the holiday star on Namaqua Ridge on Jan. 1 and will be illuminated until after Valentine’s Day. Life Scout Noah Kreutzer and Troop 314 built and installed the LED heart.

Also announced on Tuesday was the selection of Miss Loveland Valentine 2025 by Loveland’s Thompson Valley Rotary Club. Ella Pettit, a senior at Loveland High School, was born and raised in Loveland and attended Centennial Elementary School, Lucile Erwin Middle School and New Vision Charter Middle School before coming to Loveland High.

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