Jim Wells County backs Coastal Bend Lemonade Day for young entrepreneurs

Jim Wells County leaders put their support behind a free youth-business program that will return to the Coastal Bend on June 20, giving local children a chance to run a lemonade stand and learn what goes into a real business.

At commissioners court on May 8, county officials rallied behind Lemonade Day Coastal Bend, the 14th annual regional event. The program says its mission is to help young people become business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens, all by building and running a lemonade stand.

For Jim Wells County families, the appeal goes beyond selling cups of lemonade. The program’s curriculum walks participants through building a stand, branding it and sharing their results, turning a simple neighborhood business into a lesson in budgeting, customer service, planning and responsibility. The 2026 goal is to provide the curriculum free to 1,200 participants across Nueces, San Patricio, Aransas, Bee, Kleberg and Jim Wells counties, which makes it one of the region’s broadest youth enrichment efforts.

County endorsement matters because Pedro “Pete” Trevino Jr. presides over the five-member commissioners court and also serves as the county’s budget officer. When Jim Wells County puts its name behind a program like this, it signals public backing for a hands-on opportunity that can reach children in Alice and beyond, including families who may not be able to pay for traditional business camps or other enrichment programs.

The program already has a track record in the Coastal Bend. The United Corpus Christi Chamber said it once saw more than 50 lemonade stands set up across Corpus Christi, Sinton, Alice and Aransas Pass. A 2025 television report described the effort as a way for kids to learn responsibility by opening up shop in their own communities, and a June 2025 report said more than 700 children across the Coastal Bend picked up packets and shirts with instructions for the program.

Lemonade Day Coastal Bend also says it offers resources, mentors, volunteers and sponsors to support youth in the region. For Jim Wells County, that creates a clear path for residents who want to take part: families can sign children up, and adults can help as mentors, volunteers or sponsors. The result is a program that ties local pride to practical skill-building, one stand at a time.