DJ's Famous Lemonade Celebrates 10 Years, Launches Entrepreneurship Academy

The family-run lemonade stand is turning its decade of experience into a program to teach kids how to start their own businesses.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 8:50am

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What began as a simple lemonade stand in a Hopkinsville, Kentucky driveway has grown into a decade-long small business venture for DJ's Famous Lemonade & Links. Now, the family behind the business is launching the Lemonade Academy, a hands-on entrepreneurship program designed to teach children ages 8 to 15 how to start and run their own businesses.

Why it matters

The Lemonade Academy reflects the family's commitment to giving back to their local community and inspiring the next generation of young entrepreneurs. By sharing their own experiences and lessons learned over the past 10 years, they hope to spark interest and confidence in children who want to start their own businesses.

The details

The Lemonade Academy will function as a 4-6 week workshop covering topics like developing a business concept, financial literacy, marketing, and launching a business. The program will culminate in a community event called Lemonade Academy Market Day, where participants will open their own booths or stands to sell their products to the public. The family is also exploring the possibility of establishing a community Lemonade Day with support from local government.

  • DJ's Famous Lemonade & Links has been operating for 10 years, since its start as a simple lemonade stand in a Hopkinsville driveway.
  • The Lemonade Academy is launching in 2026 and will run for approximately 4-6 weeks.

The players

DJ

The six-year-old who first became interested in starting a lemonade stand after watching a video online, sparking the creation of DJ's Famous Lemonade & Links.

Tarreka Bailey

DJ's mother, who says the family set up their first lemonade stand at DJ's grandmother's house and has watched the business grow over the past 10 years.

DJ's Famous Lemonade & Links

The family-run small business that started as a simple lemonade stand and has expanded to community events, adding hot dogs ('links') to its menu.

Lemonade Academy

A new entrepreneurship program launched by DJ's Famous Lemonade & Links to teach children ages 8 to 15 how to start and run their own businesses.

Hopkinsville Electric System

The organization that has agreed to allow the Lemonade Academy to use its meeting space for the program's Saturday sessions.

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What they’re saying

“We started asking, 'How do we teach other kids how to start their own businesses?' DJ is the perfect person to teach it because he can talk about the good parts and the difficult parts.”

— Tarreka Bailey

“We're talking with the mayor's office about setting aside a day for Lemonade Academy.”

— Tarreka Bailey

“We're big Christians and a faith-based business. We donate a portion of our proceeds to different charities and to our children's church at Cedar Grove.”

— Tarreka Bailey

What’s next

Organizers are exploring the possibility of establishing a community Lemonade Day tied to the Lemonade Academy, with support from local government officials.

The takeaway

By turning 10 years of experience running a successful small business into a hands-on entrepreneurship program, DJ's Famous Lemonade is inspiring the next generation of young business owners and giving back to their local community in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.