Deno, one of the pups at Midcoast Humane’s “Speed Dating” event last year. The group is holding a Puppy Love anniversary celebration this Valentine’s Day. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Who says you have to be coupled up on Valentine’s Day?

Hallmark, the patriarchy, history, romance novelists and your parents, to name a few. That doesn’t mean any of them are right. Why should somebody be forced to stay home on a Friday night (Valentine’s Day falls on that day this year) just because they are not in a romantic relationship?

Luckily, there’s lots going on this Valentine’s Day in Southern Maine where coupling up is not required. There are all sorts of activities and events that allow you to go out, blend in, and have a good time on your own and on your own terms.

Here then are some suggestions for ways to fly solo on Valentine’s Day.

THAT’S FUNNY

The Portland sketch comedy group Hey Party People! is presenting a show called “Get Sexy” at 7 p.m. Friday at Hill Arts in Portland. About half of the sketches will be Valentine-centric, but the rest will run the gamut of whatever the performers think is funny. The show runs 60 to 75 minutes and tickets are $10 to $30 online, $5 more at the door. Beer and wine will be sold.

The sketch comedy group Hey Party People! will perform in Portland on Valentine’s Day. Photo courtesy of Hey Party People!

DANCE FEVER

There’s a Valentine’s Day dance party at 7 p.m. at the historic Watts Hall in Thomaston, and singles are explicitly invited (so are couples and groups). The Right Track, an 11-piece band with a horn section, will play R&B, funk and soul favorites. There will be a beer and wine cash bar and light concessions. Tickets are $22 in advance and $27 at the door, if available.

One place where nobody will care if you’re alone is a rave. Luckily there’s a Shrek Rave at the State Theatre in Portland starting at 9 p.m. Friday. Yes, Shrek as in the animated movie about an ogre. The promotional poster sets the tone for a very nontraditional Valentine’s night: “It’s Dumb. Just come have fun! Cool is dead! Who cares?” You can dress up as your favorite character, or not, and rave the night away with fellow Shrek fans, dancing to EDM and house mixes of soundtrack songs. Tickets are $19 to $29 in advance, $34 on the day of the show. You have to be at least 18 to get in.

Portland House of Music on Temple Street is hosting The Lonely Hearts Club Ball at 9 p.m. Friday, with local faves Gina and The Red Eye Flight Crew, playing rock, funk/soul and R&B. It sounds like the place to go if you’re all alone on Valentine’s Day and like to dance to loud, high energy tunes. Tickets are $20.

The Maine Pond Hockey Classic starts on Valentine’s Day this year. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

YOU GOTTA HAVE ART 

Villain Arts 3rd Annual Maine Tattoo Arts Festival begins at 2 p.m. Friday at the Brick South events hall at Thompson’s Point in Portland. It might be the right time to get the name of an ex crossed off your existing tattoo. Or maybe get a whole new one, proclaiming your independence. Besides being able to talk to and hire tattoo artists and piercing professionals there’s entertainment, including a heavy metal magician, a daredevil and contortionist and a burlesque performance. Tickets are $20, free for children under 12. The festival continues Saturday and Sunday.

PUPPY LOVE

Midcoast Humane is holding a special “Puppy Love” 75th anniversary celebration beginning at 4 p.m. Friday at Noble Kitchen + Bar in Brunswick. The highlight of the event is the chance to snuggle with a select group of kittens and puppies from the shelter, from 4-8 p.m. There will also be a special menu and cocktails, a Diamond Anniversary ice sculpture and an outdoor fireplace. Ten percent of all sales that night will be donated to Midcoast Humane.

Bravo, 4, catches his toy while meeting new friends at Midcoast Humane’s “Speed Dating” event for Valentine’s Day last February. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

A SPORTING CHANCE

If you need to take out some Valentine’s Day angst by yelling and cheering, then head up to Lewiston for a Maine Nordiques hockey game at The Colisee, against the Danbury (Connecticut) Hat Tricks. The game starts at 7 p.m. Friday and tickets are $9 and $10.

Or if you’re a hockey purist who prefers the game on a pond outside, you’re in luck. The Maine Pond Hockey Classic tournament kicks off Friday at Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, just north of Augusta. Teams and spectators can check in at 5:30 p.m. and games start at 7 p.m. There’s also a “welcome skate” party and a beer garden.

The Harlem Globetrotters are bringing their combination of high-energy basketball and comedic hijinks to Cross Insurance Arena in Portland at 7 p.m. Friday. The Globetrotters have been around since 1926, and have performed for some 148 million fans in 124 countries and territories. Tickets are priced online from $19 to $110, including some that come with bench visits and on-court access.

The Harlem Globetrotters will play in Portland on Valentine’s Day. Photo by Craig Hunter Ross

TURN OUT THE LIGHTS

Going to the movies alone is great anytime, just sitting in the dark, you and the giant images on the silver screen. So going on Valentine’s Day by yourself makes sense, especially if you pick something decidedly unromantic. Several Oscar-nominated films are out now and have opened in Southern Maine, so you might check out some of those playing near you. These include “Nickel Boys,” “The Substance,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Nosferatu.” All of them were playing at Nickelodeon Cinemas in Portland as this was being written, but as movie schedules change weekly, be sure to check with your cinema of choice first.

Adrien Brody, left, and Guy Pearce in a scene from “The Brutalist.” Lol Crawley/A24 via AP