So you’ve found a free evening and someone to spend it with. If you and your date want to find the best things to do in Helotes, TX, there are plenty of fun things to try together, from museums to restaurants to stores and so much more.
You’ll find Helotes close to downtown San Antonio, Boerne, Live Oak, and New Braunfels, expanding the area to find cool things to do. For example, you might go for a walk in a city park, enjoy live music at music venues, or take a getaway at some of the city’s vacation rentals.
We’ve curated a list of date night ideas for various interests. We buy houses San Antonio residents want, so we know what the locals love! While there are plenty of free things to do in San Antonio and free things to do in Cibolo, don’t cross Helotes off your list either. You can do several of these activities for free or at a low price, and hopefully, they will curate some fantastic memories for you and your date.
Helotes Creek Winery
Located off Old Bandera Road, Helotes Creek Winery is a perfect place to enjoy downtime with your date. You can sit with your favorite wine flavors, enjoy specially curated cheese plates, or occasionally enjoy live music.
The winery offers at least 35 types of wine, which you can only find available on location. They’re famous for their onsite-crafted low-sulfite Italian wines, which provide a closely authentic Italian experience for international wine lovers. They will ship and custom-label their wine if you want to buy wine in bulk.
If you’re lucky, you might get a tasting from the owner himself or have a pleasant tasting conversation with the wine experts behind the tasting bar.
Some favorite specialty wines to take home include the strawberry Riesling or the sangria.
Josabi’s and John T. Floore Country Store
Josabi’s Acres is one of the premier live music spots in Helotes, Texas. A rusting setting mixed with industrial elements, it’s a great place to host a large event or go when you’re in the musical mood, especially if classic Texas country is your vibe.
You can reserve a table outside while you watch live music and receive food and drink service. You might even see the owner John running around tending to customers. Josabi’s also prides itself on upgrades, so if you come back from time to time, you might see new decorations or accommodations to improve your experience.
Similarly, the John T. Floore Country Store has hosted many famous musical artists through the years, like Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, and several others. The song “Shotgun Willie” has callbacks to the venue and to John T. Floore himself, who worked with Nelson professionally.
The great thing about the John T. Floore Country Store is its purely Texas atmosphere, sometimes called the “Teccentric” atmosphere. While listening to live music, you can enjoy some fresh cold beer and classic Texas comfort food, like tamales and Floore’s homemade bread.
John T. Floore Country Store is not as much of an event venue as Josabi’s, so you might have a more personalized experience here. You can typically get tickets to musical events for cheap, and the relaxed but fun atmosphere allows you and your date to relax during the event.
Old Town Market Days
For something a little more low-key, you can take your date on a trip to the Helotes Marketplace in Old Town Helotes. The event usually takes place on the first Saturday of the month all year-round, with schedules ranging from 9 a.m until 5 p.m.
The Helotes Marketplace has something for everyone, from arts and crafts, food, drink, and non-profit organizations advertising and marketing their services. For example, you might find your new favorite hand-made craft or food item at the marketplace or get your familiar favorites in the food trucks.
Keep in mind that the Helotes Marketplace is family-friendly, so you won’t find vendors selling alcohol, firearms, or merchandise with vulgar pictures or words on them.
Should you find yourself alone at the Helotes Marketplace, it’s a great place to find gifts for your friends or family. The vendors love talking about their wares, but they also love getting to know people, so you can get to know the people selling those unique crafts.
It’s also a great place to go if you and your date have pets. The marketplace is open-air, so you’re more than welcome to bring pets as long as they’re on a leash and you clean up after them.
Helotes Hill Country Zip Lines
Zip-lining is an excellent activity for you and your adventurous date. The park has plenty of fun and engaging guides to provide education and safety tips before going on the line. Plus, you can enjoy the Texas Hill Country’s magnificent views as you make your way to the zipline.
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Some say taking your date to a movie or play is a bad idea, but it’s a great way to enjoy some culture together. The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, located next to the San Antonio Riverwalk, is another venue to enjoy many of Texas’s best musicians and the occasional musical or play.
Each production is still enjoyable, and you’ll find a few classics on the docket, like a Nutcracker production at Christmastime, or a few musical spins on classic stories, like Alice in Wonderland or Madagascar.
Plus, if you become a Tobin Center Member, you get access to the Denman Founders Lounge, where you can enjoy a private bar and lounge seating before showtime.
If you’re not a member, there is still TASTE Dining, with a specially curated menu specific to each performance. You’ll always find burgers, beer, light snacks, and appetizers if you need a bite before the show.
Senator Frank L. Madla Natural Area
You and your date can go out to a park for some private time with nature any time at this natural park. There are some open areas if you want to lay out a picnic, fly a kite, or play catch.
None of the trails are challenging, so you might consider getting some light exercise at this park before sitting down for a meal. There is a slight uphill over a rocky hill, but you can easily walk the trails in casual clothing.
There are also plenty of picturesque views of hills and fields, so it’s a nice place to sit and talk too.
San Antonio River Walk
Sometimes touted as the number-one attraction in Texas, the San Antonio River Walk is full of restaurants, shops, and museums. While you can pick a few spots to stop at along the way, walking the river and enjoying the views and cypress trees is just as much fun.
There are plenty of seasonal events, such as the Festival of Lights, the Holiday Lights on the River show, and several guided boat tours.
Once again, there are plenty of outdoor spaces to enjoy the weather or for you and your date to spend time with leashed pets.
Helotes Gallery
An art gallery is a nice quiet place to walk with your date and reflect on some unique works of art. The Helotes Gallery is newly opened and is still small, so you can consider stopping in before going to lunch or dinner at the nearby Old Helotes Market.
If you have some cash to spend, you can purchase the art displayed from $20 to the 2,000-plus range to support local artists.
Stetson Dance Hall
If you and your date love dancing or don’t mind tripping over your feet, you might enjoy dancing at Stetson. You’ll find local DJs spinning tunes, Texas singers leading a sing-along, or maybe just enjoying drinks while watching a football game.
Stetson offers drinks at the bar to enhance your evening of bar games, sports, and, of course, music.
Alamo City Golf Trail
Taking it slow with a golf course on a picturesque day is a great way to wind down with your date. You can choose from seven different courses that wind around San Antonio. In fact, hitting up the golf course with your SO could be part of 10 things to do in Converse, home of the Alamo.
B-Daddy’s Barbecue BBQ
What’s a Texan date without getting some classic brisket or pulled pork doused in barbecue sauce? B-Daddy’s is one of the most famous and popular bbq spots in Helotes, with delicious white bread buttered biscuits on the side.
We recommend coming to this place when you’re starving because the portions are enormous, and you can get plenty of sides. Speaking of sides, we highly recommend the mac and cheese and potato salad alongside the brisket, pork chops, or ribs.
You might receive a surprise visit or service from the owner himself.
La Cantera Resort and Spa
Staying at La Cantera is like taking a mini vacation. You can enjoy a fancy dinner, a swim in one of the five heated pools, get a massage in the spa, or take in the breathtaking nature views.
We encourage you to enjoy the surrounding Texas Hill Country activities, but the hotel is a great destination all by itself.
Conclusion
Whether you need to sell a house fast in Live Oak or sell your house easily in San Antonio, we know the area! You could say we’re experts in all things Texas, so we know that Helotes and other nearby cities, such as Cibolo or Converse, are full of date ideas. With the plethora of restaurants, museums, theaters, and parks to explore, it’ll be easy to soak up Texan culture and get to know your date better than before.