Since the last issue of the Focus on Carlsbad Magazine, we have seen the return of our biggest event to Downtown Carlsbad: CavernFest! For the past two years, we were unable to host the event due to the pandemic, but Carlsbad was pleased to bring it back to our community, even bigger than before. Throughout the two-day festival, Carlsbad saw over 20,000 people visit the MainStreet District with folks traveling from all over to sample Carlsbad’s renowned food trucks, shop with vendors and local businesses, or just relax and enjoy the free entertainment. Curtis Grimes headlined the event Friday night followed by the Randy Rodgers Band on Saturday. Since then, Carlsbad has been hosting its weekly Downtown Farmers and Makers Market and Third Thursday events. If you have not had a chance to drop by, the last market night will be September 29th, so there is still time to come Downtown and see what Carlsbad has to offer on Thursday evenings from 5:30pm – 7:30pm.

The events draw a good deal of traffic to Carlsbad’s Downtown, which ultimately is the point of hosting them. We want to encourage people to visit our Downtown, learn what the different businesses have to offer, and cultivate an environment for other small businesses to set up and vend. Our goal is to help foster an environment for new businesses to open their own store fronts.

With the increased foot traffic, we are always working on the back end to ensure the safety of our visitors and businesses here. Carlsbad MainStreet’s Assistant Director, Eyenid Manzo, successfully acquired a grant from AARP Livable Communities Community Challenge to improve some Downtown crosswalks to ensure that our downtown is accessible, pedestrian-friendly, and safe for those who visit. This is just another phase of our Downtown Beautification project which has already seen the installment of new benches, new trash receptacles, and new mural art.

Encouraging more foot traffic is also a way to do our part as an organization to keep our community engaged, active, and full of discovery. Visitors and community members alike can find something new around every corner of our Downtown, whether it is something in a store window that catches the eye, a piece of artwork, a new dish on a menu, or a piece of history. Carlsbad has lots of plans for more improvements to the district, and we encourage you to visit us Downtown. See for yourself, when taking a different route or getting out and walking around. You may find hidden gems down here that would otherwise remain unknown!

Kat Davis,
Executive Director,
Carlsbad MainStreet Arts & Cultural District