Guthrie Glass Date offers alternative to usual date night

Guthrie Glass Date offers alternative to usual date night
G Gallery and Glass Studio, Provided
Brittani Speegle

A couple months ago, Glenda Radigonda saw her first Glass Date marriage proposal.

The owner of downtown Guthrie’s G Gallery & Glass Studio, 110 E. Oklahoma Ave., Radigonda has been hosting her unique date night and small group event since she opened her shop six years ago.

In December, Ricky Thompson proposed to girlfriend Brittani Speegle over a dessert made by Radigonda herself. Speegle said yes.

That night is just one in a long list of memorable outings Radigonda has hosted for people from many different backgrounds.

“I have enjoyed every single Glass Date I’ve had in there, and it’s so fun because I have had all ages,” she said.

Guthrie Glass Date offers alternative to usual date night
G Gallery and Glass Studio, Provided
Ricky Thompson

The gallery is closed to the public during Glass Dates. If the date is booked in the morning, Radigonda makes brunch. If it’s an evening get-together, she makes appetizers.

The table is set and ready for her guests when they arrive. After they finish eating, guests move from the gallery into the glass-blowing studio. Each person makes his or her own memento — a paperweight or a bottle stopper.

“They actually work the glass, and I’m right there with them to make sure nothing goes awry,” Radigonda said.

The couple’s creations go through a multiple-day setting process, so guests must wait a few days before they can pick them up. If guests are from out of town, Radigonda mails them.

Glass Dates don’t require romantic partners. Radigonda said she has hosted mother-daughter pairs, friends and even a bridal shower of 20.

Many guests, she said, come from outside Guthrie.

“A lot of people will make it into a weekend or a couple of nights because they’ll stay at a bed-and-breakfast and make it a whole fun getaway,” she said.

Dealing with molten glass at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Radigonda has a few rules for Glass Dates. Participants must be at least 18. No one is allowed to wear open-toed shoes. She also does not serve alcohol.

Still, the nights have been fun for many who have passed through. Some even go on to take classes at the studio. A Glass Date, Radigonda said, counts as a student’s first glass-blowing class.

Radigonda has been blowing glass since she first took an Oklahoma City Museum of Art course on it 12 years ago. The museum store now carries her work.

“It’s kind of a fun full circle,” she said.

Those interested in booking a Glass Date can do so at ggalleryandglass.com. The site includes a calendar of open dates and available food options. The cost is $170 for two people and $85 per person after that. With some exceptions, groups are limited to four people.

After a date has been booked online, it can be confirmed with a 50 percent deposit or by paying the bill in advance.

Print headline: Hot plate, The Glass Date at Guthrie’s G Gallery & Glass Studio is a unique alternative to dinner and a movie.

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