Tokens of Love

We asked our team to share their plans for Valentine’s Day (or previous ones), love-related or not, and we got some juicy responses.

I LOVE Valentine’s Day. My mom would always make an elaborate meal and put “Tokens of Love” on our table settings—just little things like a new lipstick or a beautiful pen or book, with over-the-top love notes professing her undying affection for us. I love wearing bright pink and covering everything with hearts and rose petals. I have no shame! This year we’ll probably celebrate by making a proper meal and giving tokens of love to the girls then hustling them to sleep so Alex and I can open a bottle of Champagne in bed and watch High Maintenance.


We totally get that Valentine’s Day is not everyone’s cup of tea (maybe this one is!) but if you’re into smooshy, lovey stuff like we are, keep reading for stories of how we've spent Valentine's Day and a special event coming to Asheville...

A happy member of the East Fork team holding colorful bowls.

"On Valentine's Day, my girlfriend and I usually start the day off watching the 80s horror movie, My Bloody Valentine. From there we find progressively more ridiculous and silly films. This year, we are planning to see the Sonic the Hedgehog movie and have a blast!"

– Jeffery R.

A man holding an East Fork Mug close.

“Yikes.

I'll probably curl up in my bed (fetal) and cry for my lover, wishing she'd come home to me.”

– Max

Crayon drawing of two East Fork vases and a fruit bowl.


“Growing up, when my dad got flowers for my mom on Valentine’s, he'd always get them for my sisters and me too. I'm not really a fan of Hallmark holidays and stupid social expectations, but coming downstairs on Valentines to a row of four bouquets on the dinning room table was always fun and made the day a little special.”

– Eva

An East Fork member of the Care team, Marissa, holding The Mug in Morel with joy!

“This year, I'm spending Valentine's Day in Charlotte with 150 people at my eldest brother's wedding rehearsal! Pretty corny, but he and his fiancée are getting married on the 15th, so I'll essentially be pregaming my brother's eternal marital bliss while dancing the night away with my partner and family.”

– Marissa

Two East Fork Mugs clanking together in celebration.

“My husband and I typically don't celebrate Valentine's Day, or if we do, we do it on another day besides the 14th so we're not battling the crowds for a dinner reservation downtown. But one memorable time we did decide to celebrate was the first year we were married—we went to Cúrate, a tapas restaurant here in Asheville, for dinner and a Flamenco show to bring back the memories of our honeymoon in Spain!”

– Emily B.

A photo of a woman with pastel purple hair and a big smile.

“On Valentine's Day, I will be seeing the Sonic the Hedgehog movie which comes out that day. I'll hopefully be with a date, but if not, that's fine and I'll dress up as Sonic alone. Sonic is my boyfriend.”


– Julia T.

A table set for a meal.


“Valentine’s Day 2008. My now husband and I were taking a break in our relationship (we had just started dating a few months prior, so it was very new). We were both Ceramics students at the time. I made a small heart out of wet clay and carved onto it, “Want to hang out Thursday night?” (which happened to be Valentine’s Day, I just didn’t want to have to acknowledge it). He agreed and we went out for pizza and beers with a couple of friends (also now married to each other) after the Ceramics night class.


Kind of a somber evening together. Sad we were “broken up” but still enjoying being around each other... After a lovely college-student-quality dinner out, the four of us headed to the minivan our friend borrowed from her mom, to head back to the studio on campus. While climbing in, my friend slammed her door shut, with all four of my fingers on my right (dominant) hand inside it. Needless to say, we all spent the next few hours in the emergency room together.....for a romantic Valentine’s evening! I could barely bend any of my fingers due to swelling so I spent the next month making everything in Ceramics class using my left hand only, which was actually a pretty great experience.


My now husband and I have spent every Valentine’s Day together ever since. Usually eating some kind of “college-student-quality” meal, drinking some of our favorite beers and recognizing that we don’t need all the hype that is a lot of red and pink and roses. We just need to be together, loving life and loving each other. So that’s what we do.”

– Lisa F.


Sardine Speed Dating

Okay, so suspend your judgment for a second and let us paint you a picture. Before Valentine’s Day, all of Asheville’s most eligible singles and undiscovered new bffs gather together around the long table. Candles dripping. Billie Eilish’s Ocean Eyes on repeat. A night full of wild romance complete with speed dating (to find a new lover or friend) and extra fancy tinned fished tasting courses, paired with natural, biodynamic wines for our pals at Crocodile Wine.

Stay tuned for registration launching soon!

Thursday, February 13th at 7 pm

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