The Acton Children's Business Fair of Chicago offers a unique opportunity for children to turn their creativity into reality. Whether a child wants to monetize a hobby, test a business idea, or a young veteran entrepreneur who already has an existing business, this one-day marketplace is where they showcase their innovative ideas.
We will host up to 40 booths at the event in the parking lot of the Fifth Third Arena in Chicago near Jackson Blvd and Ogden Ave on Saturday, July 24, 2021 from 2PM–5PM. COVID-19 precaution includes booths spaced out at least 6-feet apart and face masks.
For a child to become a vendor is as easy as 1-2-3!
Register to reserve a booth. Fee: $20
Choose something to make (Here are some ideas)
Sell at the fair
Free Admission to the general public. Invite family and friends for a fun day, support the child vendors, and get ready to be inspired by our young entrepreneurs who launch their very own startup businesses!
This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, RISE: An Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, Next Great Adventure, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers. We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey, or one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs and serve their communities.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch at cbf@riseactonacademy.com
Hosted by
Jessica Tsang
🗓️ Started hosting in 2021
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Has hosted
3 fairs
We are a team of passionate entrepreneurs, educators, mentors, children entrepreneurs, and parents, who want our children to learn about entrepreneurship in a practical and fun way.
The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurs. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 40 businesses.
Where should I begin?
Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.
How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?
The application must be submitted online. Please submit one application for each business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.
What is on the application?
The application asks kids to think through some simple but important elements of their business:
What product or service do you plan to sell?
What price will you charge for each product/service? How much will each product/service cost you?
How will you pay for your startup costs? If someone is helping you with your startup costs, how will you pay that person back?
How will you advertise/market your business before the fair?
At the end of the fair, how will you determine if your business was a success?
What if someone else has the same business idea?
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out, though we will let later entries know if another applicant has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be an outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with a 6-foot table, and some cover tenting. Table cloths and chairs will not be provided. Bring your creativity to showcase your space. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
Will electricity be available?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.
What are the rules?
This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. To maintain a fair and friendly competition environment, if a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
Parents of younger children may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for set up, customer interaction, and sales.
Parents may help their children fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves. Parents, it's time to sit back and give your children the opportunity to learn through real-world, hands-on experiences.
How did the Acton Children’s Business Fair get started?
Jeff and Laura Sandefer, and a few other families wanted to spark a sense of wonder and entrepreneurship in their children. Hence, they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. That year, there were seven entrepreneurs and around 25 attendees. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.
The Acton Children's Business Fair does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and admits and gives all hosts and participants access to the same rights, privileges, programs and activities.
