CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad Village Association welcomed representatives from cities across the state for the annual California Main Street Conference.
The two-day conference, held Nov. 4-5, featured speakers, tours and meals that showcased the city’s Village and Barrio neighborhoods.
In all, 125 California Main Street members from 40 cities registered for the conference, according to Christine Davis, executive director of the Carlsbad Village Association.
“Downtowns are the heart and soul of cities,” Davis said. “So for us to be able to come together and celebrate and then learn how to continue the movement is really special.”
The conference featured 20 sessions, with speakers from the city of Carlsbad and Main Street America.
Attendees visited New Village Arts Theater and Carlsbad Village Books and took a trolley tour of other North County cities with recognized Main Street programs.
“The peer to peer networking was incredible,” Davis said. “We had a meet and greet mixer Tuesday night at the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort with a sunset that did not disappoint.”
Davis said she came away from hosting the conference with a sense of pride.
“Amazing how our retail and restaurants and our downtown infrastructure works – everything works so well together,” Davis said. “ All the attendees were so impressed, they were so taken with Carlsbad Village.”
Mayor Keith Blackburn and City Councilmember Melanie Burkholder spoke on the opening panel.
Blackburn told The Coast News that his first visit to the Village and Barrio was love at first sight and a big reason he wanted to make Carlsbad his home.
“Today, those vibrant downtown areas continue to be at the heart of our community, supporting local businesses, bringing people together and contributing to our city’s economic vitality and unique identity,” he said.
“It’s always a pleasure to welcome people to Carlsbad and in my district. I’m so happy that we were the host city,” Burkholder said. “I think the attendees really got a great feel for what Carlsbad Village is and Carlsbad in general as far as our different industries and things that we have here.”
As a small business owner, Burkholder said she knows the challenges owners face and appreciates that “small businesses are what make the whole region work.”
Burkholder said the conference also offered a chance to reflect on Davis’ work with the Carlsbad Village Association.
Davis announced that she would step down at the end of the year after 12 years in the role.
“Certainly we’ll miss her,” Burkholder said. “We’ll have, she’s actually got tiny feet, but I was going to say, big shoes to fill. What a great job she has done and continues to do, even on her way out.”
