JOYRIDE® Launches “50 States Challenge,” a Fan-Powered Race to Crown America’s #1 Candy State

Better-For-You Candy Brand Co-Owned by YouTuber Ryan Trahan Will Culminate the Competition on JOYRIDE Day, June 13, 2026, With a 24-Hour Livestream and a Second Guinness World Records™ Attempt.

JOYRIDE®, the fast-growing candy brand reinventing nostalgic favorites, has launched the JOYRIDE 50 States Challenge, a fan-powered competition to crown the first state to make JOYRIDE its #1 candy. The campaign culminates on JOYRIDE Day, June 13, 2026, with a 24-hour livestream hosted by Chief Creative Officer and co-owner Ryan Trahan, an attempt to set a new Guinness World Records™ title, and a limited-edition, state-inspired candy launch.

Fans are already joining their home state’s team,

rallying local communities to buy JOYRIDE at retailers including Target, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, Sprouts, CVS, and HEB, and track real-time standings at joyride50stateschallenge.com. The competition turns every shopper into a teammate — and every state into a contender.

JOYRIDE DAY 2026: A 24-HOUR LIVESTREAM, A WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT, AND A LIMITED-EDITION DROP

JOYRIDE Day is the brand’s annual celebration designed to drive excitement, digital engagement, and in-store traffic. On June 13, 2026, the brand will host a 24-hour livestream on Trahan’s YouTube channel, @ryan, broadcasting live from Austin, Texas from 10:00 AM CST through 10:00 AM CST on June 14.

As part of the celebration,

JOYRIDE will attempt a new Guinness World Records™ title for “Most photos of people holding a bag of candy uploaded to Instagram within 24 hours.” Fans across the country can participate by purchasing JOYRIDE at participating retailers, posting a selfie with the bag to Instagram using #JOYRIDEDay2026, and geotagging their state. Each submission counts as a point for that state — and the state with the most photos submitted will win a limited-edition, state-inspired JOYRIDE candy, launching in early July via joyridesweets.com.

Throughout the broadcast, fans can expect live retailer visits, surprise guest calls, real-time reactions to fan photo submissions, on-camera check-ins with the Guinness World Records adjudicator, and a fan-activated “Wheel” that triggers new challenges every 5,000 photo submissions.

THE 50 STATES CHALLENGE: A YEAR OF STATE PRIDE, COMMUNITY, AND CANDY

Following JOYRIDE Day, joyride50stateschallenge.com will transition into the home base for the yearlong competition. Fans can join their state team, follow real-time rankings, and watch as their state climbs — or gets passed — in the race to become the first state where JOYRIDE is the #1 candy.

To deepen local engagement, JOYRIDE will select 50 State Captains — one per state — through a public application process opening on JOYRIDE Day. Captains will receive a personalized JOYRIDE jersey, lead their state’s rally efforts, and a select group will appear on the JOYRIDE Day livestream to deliver updates from their home states.

Standings will be powered by independent retail sales data and weighted on a per-capita basis, ensuring smaller states have a real chance to compete.

A FAN COMMUNITY THAT MOVES SHELVES

The 50 States Challenge builds on a track record of fan-powered milestones that have made JOYRIDE one of the fastest-growing candy brands in America. In June 2024, the brand launched at 1,200 Target stores. By early 2025, JOYRIDE had become one of Target’s top-two best-selling candies. In June 2025, the brand set its first Guinness World Records™ title for “Most photos of people holding candy uploaded to Instagram in one hour,” with 1,733 fans participating.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1.    RSVP for JOYRIDE Day 2026 and join your state’s team at joyride50stateschallenge.com

2.    APPLY to become a JOYRIDE State Captain via the campaign landing page

3.    BUY JOYRIDE at Target, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, Sprouts, CVS, HEB, Costco, or joyridesweets.com

4.    POST a selfie with your JOYRIDE bag to Instagram on June 13, 2026, using #JOYRIDEDay2026 and geotag your state

5.    TUNE IN to the 24-hour JOYRIDE Day livestream on YouTube @ryan, beginning at 10:00 AM CST on June 13

ABOUT JOYRIDE

Founded in 2022 by Tyler Merrick, JOYRIDE is on a mission to change the way the world eats and experiences candy. With YouTube creator Ryan Trahan as Co-Owner and Chief Creative Officer, the brand blends bold flavor innovation with creator-driven storytelling to build a fast-growing, highly engaged community of over two million fans. Known for reimagining nostalgic favorites with less sugar and no artificial colors, sweeteners, or preservatives, JOYRIDE has quickly become a standout at retail, including earning the #1-selling non-chocolate candy spot at Target in 2025, according to Nielsen. Named a 2026 Insurgent Brand by Bain & Company, JOYRIDE continues to redefine what better-for-you candy can taste, look, and feel like. Follow the JOYRIDE journey @joyride.

ABOUT RYAN TRAHAN

Ryan Trahan is an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and the Co-Owner and Chief Creative Officer of JOYRIDE. With more than 20 million YouTube subscribers, Ryan is known for ambitious, fan-powered series including his “penny series” and “50 States in 50 Days,” which raised more than $11.65 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He joined JOYRIDE in 2023 and lives in Austin, Texas.