Lemonade Day prepares young entrepreneurs

Published on May 01, 2026

Kids in 3rd to 5th grade are encouraged to sign up by June 1 for the 2026 Lemonade Day Lakewood project.

It's a fun, hands-on program designed to teach young students how to start, own and operate their own business—a lemonade stand—while learning about financial literacy, self-reliance and entrepreneurial skills. 

Lemonade Day Lakewood students will each donate a portion of their lemonade stand profits to a non-profit organization of their choice. In 2025, young entrepreneurs raised over $3000 for local charities through 17 lemonade stands held at Lakewood parks.

Each “graduate” of the program will have the opportunity to participate in the official Lemonade Day Lakewood by operating their own lemonade stand at designated locations on Saturday, Aug. 1.

Participants learn about budgeting, marketing, customer service and inventory management, and will visit Lakewood City Hall to apply for and receive a special business permit to operate their temporary stands on Lemonade Day. (While the city would normally not require a youth-run lemonade stand to get a permit, they are made part of this program to give the students a fuller view of the steps required to operate a business.) 

Lemonade Day program lessons and permit day are held in mid-July.