Roadside lemonade stand
Bay City, Michigan
July 18, 2025
Consider this the story of a detour becoming a delicacy.
Heading up north for a beach retreat from the madness of the big city, I was booted off the highway and sent on a side quest through the southside of Bay City, Michigan.
It’s a place I’ve never been, so I can’t be quick to judge it. It did, however, feel like there were more empty storefronts than full ones; a glowing example of main streets and formerly busy boulevards of businesses going to the wayside as online shopping devours anything brick-and-mortar and the quaintness of the mom-and-pop experience.
I did encounter one thriving, adorable business off Garfield Avenue: A small lemonade stand – maybe only there for the day, maybe only open for a few hours. If you’re lucky enough to drive by, be sure to stop. I drove by once and instantly flipped around the block to check it out.
It’s run by a squad of kids of all ages, including Jasmine, Tino, Bean and Ivick. Jasmine was leading this group, crushing up ice and sugar and getting one of the best glasses of strawberry lemonade I’ve ever had ready to go. Bean was all business, taking cash (just $2 a cup!) and minding the makeshift register (a small metal box) to grab change. (I tipped $4, for the record.)
On this hot summer day, parched from travel, I needed a cold glass of lemonade. I can’t remember the last time I had one. This particular cup of lemonade was as sweet as the bounty of sugar dumped into the cup and aggressively pink-colored, as though it came out of a movie. I didn’t spot any actual strawberries involved in the making of this drink, but perhaps they’ll consider slitting one and placing it on the edge of the cup next time for a bit of Bay City flair.
The whole thing felt like it was out of a movie. I also couldn’t remember the last time I saw a real deal roadside lemonade stand run by a gaggle of adorable kids turned part-time entrepreneurs.
I fear it’s not a recession indicator. That remains to be seen.
But I do know this – it was well worth the detour on a long trip up north.
