The Levelland Main Street organization hosted Lemonade day and First Saturday Shop the Square June 3, on the downtown Levelland square to promote local businesses.
Main Street Manager Tania Moody was initially nervous about the number of lemonade stands participating but was relieved to have 16 lemonade stands participating.
“We had a record number 16 lemonade stands,” Moody said. “We had 14 last year, so we had two more than last year and then the first year we had it we had 13.”
Moody explained the new voting system that included favorite lemonade, best decorated booth and where patrons shopped at downtown.
“We went to a new system where we have voting online; it’s in a survey form,” Moody said. “Each booth had a map of the lemonade stands and hey had the participants of all the lemonade stand names and then they had a QR code on it. So, you could go to any lemonade stand, scan the QR code and then you just went through it, voted for your favorite ones and then at the very end we asked where did you shop today.”
Moody said most downtown retail businesses had Lemonade Day attendees shopped at their stores while also supporting the children’s booths. “We had people shop at 806 and Co Clothing Company, Aaron’s, Higginbotham’s, K’s Glamour Square, Lou Dee’s, Maloufs, Olgas, Our Stuff, Out of This World Gun shop, Silverado Apparel and Home, Studio K, T&S Antique and Craft Mall, Texas Music Supply, Western Finance, Your Shop and Your Shop Kids,” Moody said. “Almost every single one of our retailers downtown had business on this day.”
Lemonade Day participants were judged by their booth decorations and the lemonade taste.
“We had an award of $200 in downtown dollars for the best tasting lemonade and then we had $100 prize for the best decorated booth,” Moody said.
Moody shared the winners of Lemonade Day and a fun fact about the winner of the best decorated booth.
“My Main Squeeze was our favorite lemonade of the day and L&L Lemonade was our favorite decorated lemonade stand and by the way, fun fact about them, they just came to get their permit the day the day before,” Moody said. “So, on Friday they came to get their permit and their dad and mom stayed up all night doing their lemonade stand and they actually won the best decorated lemonade stand.”
Over half of the people that voted for the Lemonade Day winners also said they shopped at a downtown business.
“We had 212 people that actually voted for the lemonades and 162, I think that said that they shopped,” Moody said. “That’s a pretty good number that are also staying and doing a little shopping while they are attending the lemonade or frequenting the lemonade booths too, and I mean I saw a lot of people inside the stores.”