A bright yellow whimsical converted horse trailer has become a popular destination for thirsty visitors at festivals and events throughout Western New York.
At Love, Fern & Co., customers get more than just refreshing drinks. Carefully crafted flavors of lemonade and dirty soda are topped with edible glitter, cotton candy and even rubber ducks. Each customer is greeted with a smile as they make their order at a mobile stand adorned in cheerful decorations.
Love, Fern & Co. owner Leslie Fay serves fresh-squeezed lemonades, limeades, dirty sodas, energy drinks and iced cold brew coffee at festivals and events throughout Western New York.
Fay adds her signature flare to her drinks, which all come with the option to add edible glitter.
“I'm a very sparkly,
flashy person. I love sparkles and rhinestones. It just gives it that special touch,” Fay said.
Fay’s most popular drink is the Shark Bite lemonade, a fresh squeezed lemonade with blue raspberry syrup, strawberry puree syrup and strawberry popping boba, topped with a shark gummy and three Swedish Fish.
Another popular drink is the Barbie Jeep, a nod to the Barbie Jeep Fay drives. This dirty soda is a Fresca with dragonfruit and lemon flavors. The drink has edible glitter and is topped with a rubber duck, a nod to “Jeep ducking.” When a Jeep driver spots another Jeep, they leave a rubber duck for them outside their car – a chain of kindness Fay wanted to bring to her customers.
“You never know what small kind action is going to change someone's day,” Fay said.
Fay founded Love, Fern & Co. in March 2025 after being inspired to create her own drinks from social media. With the support of her sister, she took a leap of faith and started her business.
“There's a stigma that you have a lemonade stand, you’re a child – you know, in the summertime, you're a little kid, and you have a little lemonade stand to try and earn some money,” Fay said. “It definitely took me some convincing [myself] over a couple of years where I wasn't sure if it would be profitable, or a good idea or if I could make it work.”
Before she created her mobile beverage company, Fay ran Love, Fern Bakery from her home during the pandemic. Fay made the switch to her mobile beverage business to have more opportunities to interact with customers.
Fay named her business after her grandmother’s first name, Fern, which is also Fay’s middle name. She wanted her business name to reflect the care she puts into her products.
“No matter if I'm squeezing the lemons or cutting out the cookies, it's all made with love,” Fay said.
Love, Fern & Co. usually attends five to seven events each week throughout the summer. This has not only helped Fay connect with other local vendors, but also helped her build a community of loyal customers.
Fay's sister and parents help her run the mobile beverage business, taking drink orders at events, organizing supplies and giving feedback to possible new menu items Fay creates.
When Love, Fern & Co. is booked for multiple events at the same time, Fay takes the horse trailer to one event while her sister operates a pink pop-up tent at the other.
Fay's future plans for Love, Fern & Co. include getting a second horse trailer to use at events instead of the pop-up tent.
For updates about Love, Fern & Co., follow the mobile beverage business on Facebook and Instagram.
Erin Jones is a Democrat and Chronicle intern covering food and retail. You can reach her on Instagram or email her at ejones@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Whimsical horse trailer brings sparkly drinks to NY festivals
