147.
There was no way we could visit them all (or eat all of the back-door takeout options!), so we came up with a game plan to hit the venues the four of us (my parents, Trevor and I) had at the top of our lists. Out we headed, the four of us plus baby J jammed into one car to avoid having to find not just one but two parking spots downtown, on a Saturday, with such an event happening.
First up was Garrison Brewery, for a taste of their specialty craft beers. I tried the Sugar Moon Maple, which tastes like it sounds - it's kind of like shooting maple syrup and chasing it with beer. In other words, DELICIOUS. Also sampled was the One-Hop IPA, which my mother proclaimed to be delicious. I found it interesting - it bit back a bit! Between us we bought enough beer to warrant a quick trip back to the car to deposit our purchases.
Next up, after the beer, we needed some lunch so we headed next door to the Seaport Farmers' Market. Trevor and I headed for our favourite steamed pork buns, while my parents opted for some (spicy!) samosas and spring rolls.
Then we headed over to Laughing Whale Coffee, where they were offering a free cup of coffee with the purchase of a bag. I had a taste of it, and decided that's the closest I've ever come to thinking I might be able to drink coffee sans milk and sugar. It was nice and nutty, and fairly mild. Delicious, especially with some organic sugar stirred in! J thought the bag of coffee beans would make a good toy.
Our next stops were further along the waterfront, so we headed down the boardwalk. I don't get downtown much, living and working on the other side of the Harbour as I do, and when I do, I always am reminded how much I love our waterfront.
Next up was Bishop's Cellar, where they had samples of Nova 7, a delicious local sparkling wine. My mother rather aptly compared it to eating a gravenstein apple - crisp, sharp on the tongue, sweet and a little bit tart - and 100% delicious. After emptying our glasses, we headed for the store's Nova Scotia section to pick out some bottles to bring home with us. Bishop's Cellar was also celebrating their 10th anniversary and were holding an Instagram contest - post a picture of your favourite bottle for your chance to win it. I thought my entry (left) was the cutest, but it sadly didn't win.
More alcohol meant we needed more food in our bellies, of course, so we headed around the corner to Sugah! for some hand paddled ice cream. Their special was a single scoop of ice cream with two add-ins, so that's what we had. Vanilla ice cream with chocolate-peanut butter fudge and Nova Scotia dried cranberries makes for a delicious summer treat! I did make the mistake of letting J have a tiny taste of ice cream on my spoon and then he wanted MORE MORE MORE - oops, I think I created a baby monster! 
After wandering back along the (increasingly chilly) waterfront to the car, we headed up Morris to Atlantic News. Our goal was to pick up a copy of the Chronicle Herald, the front page of which had coverage of the Halifax Mooseheads' big President Cup win the night before. While we were there we also found a great magazine listing the best iPad apps for kids, and a couple of greeting cards with local art. There was a pianist providing live background music, and J found him fascinating. He kept looking at the pianists hands, then his face, then back to his hands, really studying him as he played. 
Our final stop was Freak Lunchbox, for some bulk candy. For that one day, proceeds from bulk candy sales were donated to support the IWK Foundation. Candy for charity has no calories, right?
It was a great afternoon spent downtown supporting local businesses and getting some great food and drink! And as the good folks at I Love Local (HFX) pointed out after the event, if you enjoyed that, you don't need an event to support local businesses - you can do it every day!
