CARLSBAD — A new bike trail highlighting local businesses and the city’s rich floral history is the latest campaign from Visit Carlsbad.
“Pedal 2 Petal” was inspired by the ranunculus flowers at The Flower Fields, according to Mark Rudyk, vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Carlsbad, which promotes the city’s tourism options. Their event coincides with the Flower Fields’ season, which began on March 1 and runs through May 8.
They partnered with nearly two dozen local businesses from Carlsbad Village to La Costa featuring floral-inspired events, massages, packages, drinks and meals.
“It was taking this iconic part of this destination (the Flower Fields) … and taking the other part of Carlsbad that is so great, which is the coastal bikeable … and putting those two together,” Rudyk said. “In the past, we’ve done Pedal 2 Plate, which was more of a culinary take. We’ve taken that concept and really enriched it.”
Residents and visitors can visit the website to check in and register for prizes, including a two-night stay at a Carlsbad resort with a $300 food voucher, Pedego electric bike rental and admission for four to the Museum of Making Music, Rudyk said.
Kim Sidariak, who was hired as Visit Carlsbad’s president and chief operating officer last fall, said after the initial three check-ins, people can still receive more entries.
Additionally, she said the spring campaign works great with the city’s bustling tourism industry thanks to spring break in March for college and April for K-12 students. It’s also not too hot as summer has yet to hit, Sidariak added.
Rudyk said some of the resorts are offering packages, while others have floral drinks, a scavenger hunt at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation and specialties such as cookies, culinary options with edible flowers and more.
The “trail” run is a bit of a makeshift one, Rudyk and Sidariak said, as locations not only include businesses and resorts across the city, but also a hike to the Calavera volcano.
But the Pedal 2 Petal campaign also centers on how Visit Carlsbad drives more business, Sidariak said.
“It’s our shoulder season, which is from September to April or May,” she said. “We are prioritizing our investments and programs for those times because there’s not a lot of need in the summer. Spring is a gorgeous time to be here.”
The biggest markets visiting the city are people from Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego followed by Arizona, Northern California, Nevada and Dallas, according to Rudyk, who said other taglines include “Growing Good Times” and “Bliss is Blooming,” which both play off the campaign’s floral theme.
