Girls' Cutest-Ever LI Lemonade Stand Draws Crowd

GREENPORT, NY — Nothing conjures up the sweet, simple joys of summer better than two little girls manning a lemonade stand on a sunny day.

Willa Kapell and Claire Costello, both 5, have been best friends since they were just a few months old, Willa's mother Kathryn Kapell said. The girls are carrying on a longtime tradition: Her husband Josh Kapell grew up with Claire's mom in Greenport, she added.

This year, the girls seemed ready to unveil their entrepreneurial sides with a lemonade stand, so Josh and Kathryn went to 67 Steps Beach in Greenport and found driftwood to create the stand, hand-painting a sunny yellow sign.

The result was a picture-perfect lemonade stand, harkening back to summers spent outside, enjoying the birds chirping outdoors and the friendliness of neighbors stopping by for a sweet drink, a cookie, and some conversation.

"My husband did a tremendous job of putting this together," Kathryn said. "It's the most authentic, sweetest lemonade stand you've ever seen."

And the girls brought their adorable personalities to the proverbial table, shouting out "Who wants cookies?" "Who wants lemonade?" with infectious enthusiasm.

"Neither one of them is a wallflower!" Kathryn smiled. "They're both very sassy!"

The girls were impossible to resist, and a long line of customers waited their turns for sweet treats. In the end, Kathryn said, the girls made almost $200. Claire, she said, plans to put her earnings in a college fund, while Willa will spend some, save some, and donate some, she said.

"They had a blast," Kathryn added.

The girls "didn't ask people what they wanted," she said, laughing. "They just handed it to them. They know they command a presence."

One of Claire's baby-sitters told her friends; neighbors were also called with the news about the stand. "So many people showed up," Kathryn said. "There's a large community of people that really love these girls. It's nice to see them, and their efforts, embraced."

The postman dropped by for some lemonade, and Southold Town police officers stopped by, too.

"My granddaughter Willa's and her friend Claire's lemonade stand was so busy they had to call in security," joked former Greenport Village Mayor David Kapell.

"How can you say 'no' to two cute little girls?" Kathryn said.

The girls will be back out Sunday afternoon at the 6th and Brown Streets, with lemonade, cookies, popcorn — and winning smiles, bringing joy to all who stop by.

"It's very small-town sweet — so cute," Kathryn said.