The first year of marriage gives you twelve months of firsts, and Utah Valley changes enough by season that the same date idea can be perfect in one month and impossible in the next. The canyon road gates closed, the cave shuts for the winter, the tulips are a two-week window. So instead of one more list of date ideas, this is a calendar: one date for each month of your first year, each checked against its own season and hours, so you can start in whatever month you married.
For more general date ideas, our date ideas in Provo and cheap date ideas pages are the deep lists. This one is for marking time together.
Before the list: three rules that shape any date here
- Sunday changes the plan. Many of the places below are closed Sunday, including the BYU Museum of Art, the Tree Room at Sundance and Thanksgiving Point's Ashton Gardens. If your anniversary falls on a Sunday, celebrate on Saturday or Monday.
- Elevation changes the season. The Alpine Loop and the Timpanogos Cave are summer-and-fall dates; the valley floor works year-round.
- Hours change. Every hour below was checked in October 2026. Confirm before you go.
The first-year calendar
January: dinner at Sundance
Sundance, about 25 minutes up Provo Canyon from downtown Provo, is the valley's classic special-occasion dinner. In October 2026, Google Maps listed the Tree Room for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday, and the Foundry Grill for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Snow on the canyon road is the catch in January; our guide to winter tires and canyon driving explains what Provo Canyon asks of your car. Our Provo Canyon and Sundance dining guide covers both restaurants in more detail.
February: a show, not just a dinner
Valentine's week fills every restaurant in the valley. Book a performance instead. The Covey Center for the Arts (425 W. Center St., Provo) programs concerts, theater and dance, and the SCERA Center for the Arts (745 S. State St., Orem) runs indoor shows and films. Our Valentine's Day guide has the reservation strategy for the dinner that goes with it.
March: The Ruth
Hale Center Theater Orem moved, and many people still drive to the old address. Its home is now The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater, 401 S. Pleasant Grove Blvd. in Pleasant Grove, which Google Maps listed with box-office hours of noon to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Our guide to The Ruth explains its two stages and what theater in the round means for your seats. Book a few weeks out; musicals sell.
April: the tulips at Ashton Gardens
Thanksgiving Point's Ashton Gardens (3900 Garden Dr., Lehi) hosts its Tulip Festival in spring; its 2027 dates had not been posted when we checked in October 2026. Google listed the gardens open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Our Tulip Festival guide covers when the tulips peak and why weekdays are easier.
May: the first drive over the Alpine Loop
The Alpine Loop (SR-92) is a seasonal road through American Fork Canyon and past Sundance. UDOT reopened it on May 22, 2026, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, and the timing varies with snow each year. The first open weekend makes a natural anniversary-season drive, with a stop at Sundance on the way down. Our Alpine Loop guide covers the turnouts and what triggers a recreation fee.
June: Timpanogos Cave
The National Park Service says cave tour seasons "typically" begin in May or June and run through September or October. The details that make it a planned date rather than a spontaneous one:
- Tours can be reserved up to 30 days ahead, through Recreation.gov, by card only.
- Regular tours are limited to 16 people, starting every 15 to 30 minutes; lantern tours start at 7 and 7:15 a.m.
- The cave entrance is a "mile-and-a-half hike" up from the visitor center.
An early lantern tour, then breakfast in American Fork, is a good morning. Our Timpanogos Cave guide covers the climb.
July: a Saturday morning downtown
The Provo Farmers Market sets up at 500 W. Center St., and Google listed it with Saturday hours of 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in October 2026. Walk it early, before the heat, then head east along Center Street toward downtown for lunch. Our farmers markets by day page covers the season and the parking.
August: sunset at Utah Lake State Park
The state park at the west end of Provo's Center Street (4400 W. Center St.) faces west over the lake, and Google listed it open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Bring dinner, stay through sunset. Our Utah Lake State Park guide lists the entry fee, and our algal bloom explainer covers what to check before anyone wades in.
September: the art museum's late night
The BYU Museum of Art says admission is free. It is open until 9 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, closed Sunday. A Thursday or Friday evening there, then ice cream at the BYU Creamery on Ninth (1209 N. 900 East), is about as easy as a good date gets in Provo.
October: fall color before the gate closes
Fall color comes to the canyons before the Alpine Loop's winter closure. Drive it again, a few months after your May drive, and compare; our Alpine Loop guide covers the timing. If the loop has closed, Provo Canyon's highway is still open; our Bridal Veil Falls guide covers the short walk to the base.
November: Luminaria's first nights
For its 2026 season, Thanksgiving Point says Luminaria runs from November 12 to January 9, closed Sundays, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Entry slots start at 4 p.m. on most dates and 5 p.m. on some, and ticket prices vary by date on its pricing calendar. The add-ons are made for an occasion: a firepit reservation is $120 and an igloo reservation $225, neither including admission. Our Luminaria guide works through the crowd math and the premium nights.
December: back to the temple
For couples who were sealed, a tradition many keep is the simplest one: going back to the temple where it happened. The Utah County temples' Google listings show them closed Sundays and most closed Mondays, so pick another day, and reserve a session appointment ahead through the Church's online scheduling. Walk the grounds afterward. Our temple visitor guide covers the grounds and the practical logistics for each temple.
For the anniversary itself
The calendar above gives you something for each month. For the day itself, a few ideas that fit any season:
- Recreate the day in miniature. Lunch where you held your luncheon, photos where you took your temple photos, a slice of the same cake.
- A night away without the drive. Our unique stays in Utah Valley guide covers the historic Hines Mansion downtown and the canyon cabins and lodges.
- A restaurant with a view. Our restaurants with a view list sorts tables by mountain, garden and lake views.
- Write it down. Twelve dates is twelve stories. A notebook kept through the year makes a better first-anniversary gift than most things you can buy.
If you were married during the school year, the first year often runs on a student budget; our newlyweds' guide to Provo covers that first year in more depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good first-anniversary date in Utah Valley?
Is the BYU Museum of Art free?
When is the Timpanogos Cave open?
Is the Tree Room at Sundance open every night?
When does Luminaria at Thanksgiving Point run?
When is the Alpine Loop open for an anniversary drive?
Where did Hale Center Theater Orem go?
Can we go back to the temple where we were sealed?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Operating Hours & Seasons, National Park Service, Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Checked October 19, 2026.
- UDOT announces all seasonal roads now open (May 22, 2026), Utah Department of Transportation. Checked October 19, 2026.
- BYU Museum of Art: hours and admission, Brigham Young University Museum of Art. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Luminaria (2026 dates, hours, add-ons), Thanksgiving Point. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Thanksgiving Point: Events, Thanksgiving Point. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Other Activities: Temple Sessions (reserving temple appointments on the Church's website), Utah County Single Adults. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Google Places listings: Tree Room and Foundry Grill at Sundance, The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater, Ashton Gardens, Covey Center, SCERA, Provo Farmers Market, Utah Lake State Park, BYU Creamery on Ninth, Utah County temples (October 2026), Google Maps. Checked October 19, 2026.
- OSRM public routing service (Provo to Sundance drive), Project OSRM / OpenStreetMap. Checked October 19, 2026.
