This Saturday, June 13 (aka Joyride Day), the better-for-you candy brand co-owned by Ryan Trahan is wrapping its 50 States Challenge—a consumer-powered competition to crown America's first No. 1 candy state. Consumers can rally by buying Joyride at Target, 7-Eleven, and CVS, then posting geotagged selfies with #JoyrideDay2026.
 
The campaign will also culminate with a 24-hour livestream hosted by chief creative officer and co-owner Ryan Trahan on his YouTube Channel, @ryan, broadcasting live from Austin, Texas from 10:00 am CST on June 13 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.” Consumers 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, consumers can expect live retailer visits, surprise guest calls, real-time reactions to photo submissions, on-camera check-ins with the Guinness World Records adjudicator, and a consumer-activated “Wheel” that triggers new challenges every 5,000 photo submissions.

 Following Joyride Day, joyride50stateschallenge.com will transition into the home base for the yearlong competition. Shoppers 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 No. 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. 

The 50 States Challenge builds on a track record of consumer-powered milestones that have made Joyride one of the fastest-growing candy brands in America, the company says. 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, the brand notes. 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, 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

Related: Joyride debuts three better-for-you candies