Visit Baltimore Takes Its B-Sides on Tour

Visit Baltimore, the DMO representing an endearingly old-school city, is aiming to go vinyl with a throwback marketing campaign.

This summer, staff from Charm City took their act on the road via a 24-foot mobile visitor center pop-up designed to resemble a walk-in record shop. The four-city tour targeted potential travelers from destinations within driving distance of Baltimore and that also blend history and the arts.

To maximize attendance and exposure, the pop-up was set up intentionally at culture festivals, including:

• Three Rivers Arts Festival – June 5–7, Pittsburgh, PA
• Juneteenth Jubilee – June 19, Philadelphia
• Philly Fair – June 20–21, Philadelphia
• Levitate Music Festival – July 18–19, Marshfield, MA

The tour wraps up this weekend (July 23-26) at The Great South Bay Music Festival on Long Island, NY.

“These are like-minded cities and areas that have folks who would be open to a visit in Baltimore and just really appreciate the city for what it has to offer,” says Bridget Weininger, senior director of marketing, trade and experiential at Visit Baltimore.

History in the Making

Rather than creating a one-and-done campaign to celebrate its culture, Visit Baltimore has built its marketing persona around its B-Sides Records motif, highlighting hidden gems like those found on albums. Interestingly, the B-Sides tour is an extension of Smalltimore, which debuted at the Preakness Stakes in May 2025 and made eight appearances across five cities, including Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Houston.

The B-Side campaign began as a local pride initiative encouraging Baltimore residents to share what they love about the city, says Weininger. What became apparent in those local stories is the destination’s varied nature.

On one hand, it is one of the country's most historic destinations and inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner. It’s also steeped in Civil War and Civil Rights heritage. Culturally, the arts scene embraces the classics and the underground. Sports icons include Cal Ripken and Ray Lewis, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards sparked a revolution of modern-day sports venues that resemble historic game sites.

“There's a little more than meets the eye,” says Weininger of Baltimore, playing off the B-side theme.

The pop-up "record store" went up the East Coast this summer. Credit Visit Baltimore

Going Analog

It’s hard to imagine space for a mural large enough to encompass all that the destination is renowned for. The “record store” solves that challenge by leaning into the city’s musical influence, a motif that allows for many sides of Baltimore to be displayed.

The exterior resembles a Baltimore streetscape with iconic storefront architecture. Display windows showcase albums from Baltimore artists including Billie Holiday, Dru Hill, Turnstile and Beach House.

Album covers highlight different aspects on Baltimore's culture. Credit: Visit Baltimore

Inside is a recreation of an independent record shop. There are 30 custom-designed vinyl album covers highlighting different aspects of the destination, including snowballs, the B&O Railroad, the Civil Rights Movement, and other neighborhood stories.

“We make it as analog as possible,” Weininger says. “We've always been that way... we still have a video DVD rental store in Baltimore.”

Baltimore Is Trending

Visit Baltimore isn’t stuck in the past with tracking results of the activation. It’s using metrics from Placer AI traffic analysis, geofencing, photo booth participation, social engagement, and attendance counts.

Word-of-mouth has been extremely positive, reports Weininger. “We created this amazing sense of place,” says Weininger, who says a tour is scheduled in the fall but the dates and locations have yet to be released.

The timing for the campaign coincides with two major destination marketing trends: Marketing a destination based on its culture rather than attractions, and destinations harnessing the power of nostalgia.

Weininger says both culture and history have always been a major component of Visit Baltimore’s philosophy. “We kind of got lucky, and that's becoming a national trend,” she says.

Photo Credit: Visit Baltimore