About Open City

Open City is an annual celebration of entrepreneurs and the small businesses that make our communities vibrant and welcoming. Taking place annually every May within the Halifax peninsula and Downtown Dartmouth areas, Open City has become the unofficial kick-off to the summer season.

 

Created in 2012 by I Love Local HFX, Open City is now organized by Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission (DDBC), Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC), North End Business Association (NEBA), Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association (QRMDA), and Spring Garden Area Business Association (SGABA). 

 

The goal of Open City was and continues to be to get people out to visit and experience the best that our small, local businesses have to offer. People are encouraged to make a day of it and visit as many small businesses as possible.

 

To entice people to come out, participating businesses will be offering special experiences like back-door takeout, shopping deals, sidewalk sales, unique meet-the-maker experiences, and/or community activations (and more!).

 

Come out on Saturday, May 9, 2026, and celebrate the best of local with Open City! 

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