A simple lemonade stand started by two young Morrisville brothers has grown into a community business recognized throughout the borough.
Now, the boys behind Brothers Lemonade are taking their entrepreneurial spirit a step further and helping bring Morrisville residents together for the borough’s first Cultural Festival.
Morrisville’s First Cultural Festival, presented by Brothers Lemonade in partnership with Morrisville Borough, is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Williamson Park, 97 N. Delmorr Ave.
The free event will feature international food, merchant vendors, nonprofit organizations, cultural performances, children’s activities and two DJs playing music representing a variety of cultures and genres.
The idea came from brothers Noah and Tobias Calero, who have become familiar faces around Morrisville through their lemonade business with their father, Mario.
Noah, 11, attends Morrisville Intermediate School, while Tobias, 7, attends Grandview Elementary School. Mario said the brothers first began selling lemonade after asking whether they could set up a stand outside their home.
“I was home with my sons one day and they asked if they could do a lemonade stand, so I immediately agreed,” Mario said.
The family has lived on West Trenton Avenue for the past eight years, and the boys have spent the past several summers selling lemonade in front of their home.
“So many people come by to buy it, and when we go to festivals, we’re well known,” Mario said. “Everyone knows the boys for their lemonade.”
Their mother, Tiffany, handles the marketing and administrative side of Brothers Lemonade.
The business has also taken the family to community events throughout the region, including the Puerto Rican Festival in Bristol, the Trenton Puerto Rican Festival, a local Italian festival and several pop-up events.
Through those experiences, Noah and Tobias began thinking about the idea of creating a festival of their own.
“They asked me if they could do a cultural festival in Morrisville where they could bring everyone together as one,” Mario said.
Noah said the festival’s purpose is to help people learn about and appreciate cultures beyond their own.
“I want people to be aware of other cultures,” he said.
Mario said that when his sons first suggested the idea, the family was unsure how to move forward. The family turned to Morrisville Mayor Gary Wallace, who had already become a supporter of the brothers and their business.
Wallace said he first met the family about two years ago at an event at Williamson Park, where he stopped at their lemonade stand.
“I tried the lemonade and it was fantastic, and I have supported everything they have done since then,” Wallace said.
The family said they were initially nervous about approaching Wallace with the idea for a Cultural Festival. But when the mayor stopped by to buy lemonade, they brought up the idea.
“When they proposed the idea, I loved it and immediately agreed to support them,” Wallace said. “I just love what they are doing for the community and what they are doing for themselves as young boys growing up in this world and trying to be young entrepreneurs.”
Wallace encouraged the family to present a proposal to the borough for the festival. Mario said he worked with the borough’s Parks and Recreation Department to complete the necessary paperwork, create a virtual layout showing how the park would accommodate vendors and write a letter of consideration.
The proposal was discussed for two to three months before being approved.
“We went to a borough meeting, and they all voted to approve the festival,” he said. “And now it’s just about making it happen.”
The borough is co-sponsoring the event and providing support and resources, Wallace said, while allowing the Calero family to take the lead in organizing the festival. The partnership itself reflects the purpose of the event.
“What better way to show unity at a cultural festival than have these community members and the borough co-sponsor it together?” he said.
Organizers hope the festival will give visitors an opportunity to experience different cultures through food, music, dance and other traditions.
“At this festival, you’ll have the opportunity to taste food from different cultures and also discover other traditions,” Mario said.
Among the planned entertainment are four cultural performances, including demonstrations by two karate schools, an Irish dance group and a Mexican dance group. A salsa dance performance may also be added.
Two DJs will provide music throughout the day, setting the tone with international music from a variety of cultures in addition to hip-hop, R&B, freestyle, and reggae music.
Tents and chairs will be available for attendees to relax and enjoy the music, and organizers hope the atmosphere might encourage some dancing as well.
“Who knows? You might learn some new dance moves,” Mario said.
The event also will feature bounce houses and children’s games, along with food vendors, merchant vendors and nonprofit organizations sharing information with attendees. Some vendors will offer international foods and merchandise, while many participating businesses are expected to be local to Morrisville.
Organizers are still recruiting merchant vendors and encouraging interested businesses to contact Brothers Lemonade at brotherslemonade10@gmail.com for information.
Mario said the idea behind the festival is similar to what he has seen at the family’s lemonade stand.
“Lemonade brings people together because everyone comes to get lemonade, whether they are white, Black, Asian or Hispanic,” he said. “They all come to get lemonade, and they all say it tastes great. That’s the same attitude we want to bring to this festival. We want everyone to come together and appreciate each other regardless of their differences.”
Although Morrisville is a small borough, Mario said it is home to a diverse population and deserves an event that celebrates that diversity.
“Bristol and Trenton have big Puerto Rican festivals, and other local communities have cultural festivals, but it’s something we don’t have in Morrisville,” he said. “Morrisville is small, but we have a lot of diversity here. I want everyone to feel comfortable being part of this community and visiting Morrisville regardless of their culture.”
Wallace agreed, saying the festival could also bring visitors from surrounding communities to Morrisville.
“My goal is to see the Morrisville community and surrounding communities come out and enjoy a successful event while celebrating everyone’s differences,” Wallace said.
The response so far has been encouraging, according to Mario, who said his phone has been “ringing nonstop” with calls, emails and text messages from people interested in attending or participating.
“The list of merchant vendors continues to grow,” he said.
Wallace said a few hundred people or more could possibly attend, citing the growing interest and enthusiasm he has heard from residents and organizations.
Organizers are not seeking to make a profit from the event, Mario said. Instead, their goal is to provide a free community celebration and, if successful, establish it as an annual tradition.
Noah and Tobias, meanwhile, are looking forward to selling lemonade at the festival they helped inspire and seeing the community come together.
MORE: Miss Morrisville plants seeds of kindness across community
