We already know what you’re going to say. Valentine’s Day is a billion-dollar ruse, the brainchild of greedy card and chocolate companies who care nothing for love and want only to take your hard-earned cash. First of all, why are you so cynical? Stop that. Second of all, how about you take advantage of the opportunity that’s been presented to you. Okay? Okay. Now that you’re no longer behaving like you’re dead inside, it’s worth exploring your options for the holiday, should you decide to think above and behind cliché. A quick glance around the area shows there are some good options for couples interested in more than just dinner and Redbox. The Ohio Theatre will host one of the area’s more traditional pieces of Valentine’s entertainment. On Friday Feb. 13 and Saturday Feb. 14 the Columbus Symphony will perform a program entitled “Masterworks: Romeo & Juliet.” ($25-$68, Friday/Saturday) Kansas City Symphony’s Michael Stern will conduct selections from Berlioz, Bernstein and Prokofiev. Stern returns to Columbus after an almost ten year hiatus. “The CSO chose to celebrate three very diverse versions of Romeo & Juliet in these concerts,” said Rhonda Copley of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, which manages the Ohio Theatre. The show will be a celebration of the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth, the Bard’s greatest love story. If Broadway show tunes and pop music are more your cup of tea, a special weekend put together by the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus might represent the best option. CGMC’s select ensemble will perform Vox on the Rocks ($20, Friday/Saturday), a “celebration of love and laughter” that will be onstage at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. “There will be songs about love, heartbreak, finding love, trying to love,” said CGMC musical director Tim Sarsany, who said the show will include selections from Grease, Queen and many others. Columbus Explorer’s Club CEO Michele Rapp loves to talk about how outside-the-box her organization’s Dinner and Targets ($220, Friday) at the Black Wing Shooting Center will be. “What everybody loves about it is that we offer something different than the ordinary dinner/flowers/see a movie type of thing. This is an opportunity for people to get out of their comfort zone and do something thrilling.” For the price of admission couples get appetizers and a dinner buffet, followed be an extensive firearms experience. There will be the option of trap shooting or time on the indoor range, along with safety instruction and a special treat: 40 seconds to fire an MP5 machine gun. “This is the kind of thing that’s on people’s bucket list,” Rapp says. One of the cooler new Valentine’s Day events is the Maker Date Night ($145-$175), which takes place at the Columbus Idea Foundry. Maker Date lets couples stretch their artistic legs, working with a blacksmith, mixed-media expert and glass instructor, among others. “It’s an alternative date experience,” said Director of Operations Casey McCarty. “Something besides the dinner-and-movie scene.” Maker Date is so awesome, unfortunately, that this year’s version is already sold out. McCarty said there is a waiting list. If for some reason you associate the day with wine, chocolate and flowers (Filthy conformist!) Franklin Park Conservatory’s and Camelot Cellars Winery have viable options. Celebrate Valentine’s Day ($15, Friday) at the Conservatory features wines and liqueurs paired with various artisan chocolates. There will be live music, as well as special Valentine’s Day menu and an orchid display. Camelot Cellars’ Valentine’s Dinner at the Winery ($95, Friday) is a somewhat traditional set-up, featuring a candlelight dinner, roses and live music.