8 Atlanta dates that will make your love bloom this spring

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Whether your outlook is more a "young person's fancy turning to love" or you already have a long-term love who's like a "red, red rose," springtime dates are a good way to encourage love to bloom (or bloom further.)

Here are eight great opportunities for dates when spring is busting out all over Atlanta:

Spring Fling on the rooftop at Nine Mile Station. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Adults only after 4 p.m. Saturday, April 21. $20. 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta.

Now that the weather's a little warmer, get a bird's eye view of the city and sip brews from the elevated beer garden at Nine Mile Station on the roof of Ponce City Market in downtown Atlanta.

For an extra special date, if you're not otherwise occupied on Earth Day, check out the Spring Fling (11 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday, April 21). It begins as a family-friendly fete earlier in the day and turns into a simmering 21-and-up only celebration starting at 4 p.m.

When you arrive, look for "The Roof" signs near the elevator.

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Credit: Courtesy of Lesli Peterson

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Credit: Courtesy of Lesli Peterson

Gaze lovingly at Dunaway Gardens. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays in April and May. $10. 3218 Roscoe Road/Highway 70, Newnan.

If you and your love are the types to appreciate the romance of a secret garden, you can't do better than a Saturday jaunt to Historic Dunaway Gardens in Newnan. Open only on Saturdays in April and May for spring 2018, the gardens are on the National Register of Historic Places.

They include a hidden Great Pool, an original amphitheater, hanging gardens and a dramatic past. Created by stage actress Hetty Jane Dunaway on her husband's expansive ancestral plantation, the amphitheater and grounds once hosted the 1930s glitterati but faded along with the actress's career. For a memento of a special day, look into some of Dunaway's fragrant black, oolong and green teas in limited, small lots.

People check out the Beluga Whale exhibit during the Sips Under the Sea, Game Night, at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Friday, August 12, 2016. STEVE SCHAEFER / SPECIAL TO THE AJC

Credit: Steve Schaefer

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Credit: Steve Schaefer

Work out while watching whales at the Georgia Aquarium. 6:30-7:30 p.m., April 25. Aquarium Parking Deck, 357 Luckie St. NE, Atlanta. $12 for parking (non-members) and $10 parking for members. Yoga admission, $10.

You can enjoy a soothing time with just you, your date and hundreds of thousands of your favorite marine animals at the Georgia Aquarium any day of the week. But for something a bit more invigorating, attend one of the aquarium's signature events, Workout by the Water. This yoga class takes place in the Oceans Ballroom with its incredible views of manta rays and whale sharks. Class proceeds benefit Georgia Aquarium's research and conservation initiatives.

Even Stormtroopers can find love on a date to Suntrust Park in springtime Atlanta.

Credit: Contributed by allevents.in

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Credit: Contributed by allevents.in

Braves games at Suntrust Park, Suntrust Park Star Wars Night. 7:35 p.m., May 4. 755 Battery Ave. SE, Atlanta. Tickets range $8 (general admission) to $117 (dugout infield).

"Take me out to the ball game" is always a cool date theme when you live in the heart of Braves Country. But you can make it even more magical with a splurge on the Suntrust Park Stars Wars Night. In addition to the regular game versus the San Francisco Giants, enjoy character appearances, theme activities and the signature Friday Night Fireworks, Star Wars Edition.

Special Star Wars Night packages are also available.

Unleash your inner little kid with a day trip date to Pine Mountain's Dino Village. Opens at 12 p.m.  Wednesday to Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, 214 South Main Ave., Pine Mountain. Dinosaur viewing admission, $10; unlimited rides and activities, $15; annual season pass, $25.

With 25-plus life-sized animated dinosaurs and dino-themed rides, the attraction is kind of like seeing Jurassic Park. Only you're outdoors and running around and there's no Chris Pratt (that we know of). And if you want to return again and again (with the same or different dates), the season pass is a sweet deal.

Take in an outdoor production of The Little Mermaid. Various showings,  2 p.m. Saturday matinees and  8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday evenings. $40 per ticket and $5 for rain protection. Locations with each performance vary. General address: 10640 Serenbe Lane, Chattahoochee Hills.

The Serenbe Playhouse is always fun for a special date since the productions take place outdoors and the location isn't revealed until the last minute. This spring's production of Disney's "Little Mermaid" is bound to be a hit. Peter Pan and Titanic, the musical, will take you into the summer season.

Frolic at the Atlanta Spring Wine Festival. 1-5 p.m. April 14, Advance tickets start at $45; $50 after April 5th, $60 day of the event. 665 North Ave. NE, Atlanta.

If your date loves wine as much as she loves... Well, we won’t go into that, but do consider hitting the Historic Fourth Ward Park's wine fest either to make a great first impression or celebrate a long-time love. Fifty-plus wines and live music make it hard to go wrong here.

Screen "Dead Man Walking" at Emory's Candler School of Theology. 7 p.m.  April 10. Free. Emory University, 1531 Dickey Drive, Atlanta.

See an uplifting Oscar winner, "Dead Man Walking" on the frugal dater's budget. Since it's free, you can afford to go out for drinks first. One of many events that are open to the public free of charge at Emory University, the screening is part of the Aquinas Center of Theology's "Lights in the Darkness" movie series.