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They're back for an 11th year of music, lemonade, and community spirit!

The Cohen-Stuckey family’s annual Lyrics and Lemonade event returns to Northview Park at 111 Viking Ave. on Saturday, September 5th, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The afternoon of performances, along with a lemonade and bake sale, will benefit the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation. The fundraiser has become a long-standing family tradition and one of the neighbourhood's most anticipated events.

The event began as a small lemonade stand in the family's driveway in 2016, when then six-year-old Lianne Cohen raised $30 by selling glasses of homemade lemonade. The activity prompted a family discussion about how some children — including some family friends undergoing medical treatments — couldn't enjoy summers in the same way as she and her then three-year-old sister Meghan.

That decision changed Cohen-Stuckey family summers forever. Stephen, a physics professor at Vanier College; his wife, Valerie Stuckey, a family doctor; and their daughters, Lianne and Meghan, decided to continue donating the proceeds from their small lemonade stand to a worthy cause.

As the number of customers continued to grow, Lianne and Meghan grew older and developed their own musical talents. Stephen Cohen, a guitarist and drummer, began involving his family in the event and introduced live music to Lyrics and Lemonade. Over the years, the fundraiser attracted increasing attention, prompting Cohen to invite more local musical acts — primarily children and teens — to take part. What began as a small family fundraiser eventually evolved into a full-blown musical event.

By 2023, over $2,000 was raised in the driveway of the Cohen-Stuckey home, with friends and neighbours covering nearly every square inch of space. The event moved to Northview Park in 2024, drawing an even bigger audience and raising more than $6,800 for the hospital, more than tripling the previous year's collection. In 2025, the event broke that record, raising $7,130 for the foundation's highly specialized pediatric care programs.

Cohen speaks with immense pride about the many young performers who return year after year, saying that “we get to see how they have honed their talents.” He is equally grateful to the many volunteers who have helped the event grow, pitching in with setup, finding sponsors, and going door-to-door to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital.

The closing act of Lyrics and Lemonade will be none other than Cohen's own family band, Cocoachella. Made up of Stephen (guitar), Lianne (vocals), Meghan (vocals), Stephen’s father Randy (drums), and Stephen’s uncle Alan, a professional keyboard player based in Toronto, the band closed out last year's show with an incredible performance that drew enthusiastic applause and cheers from an audience clearly impressed by the onstage talent. Many also enjoyed refreshments prepared by Dr. Stuckey, who moonlights as the lemonade mixologist.

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event go to the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, thanks to the volunteers who donate their time and energy to help make Lyrics and Lemonade a success.

"I think every parent in the Montreal area is happy to know that the Children's Hospital is there for them and their kids, and we are so happy to fundraise on their behalf,” said Cohen.

For more information about attending or performing, please visit the Lyrics and Lemonade Facebook page. For more information about the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation or to donate directly to the cause, please visit their donation website.