Tacoma Children's Business Fair
Saturday, February 8, 2025
12:00PM - 3:00PM
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About the fair
Join the fun as kids launch their own startups!
At our one-day marketplace, kids will create a brand, develop a product or service, craft a marketing plan, and open for business!
Check out over 50 booths at the Tacoma Children’s Business Fair at the Waterfront Market At Ruston on Feb. 8th from 12pm to 3pm.
Hosted by
Nicollette Roe
🗓️ Started hosting in 2024
✅ Identity verified
⭐️ 4.8 (55)
The Tacoma Children’s Business Fair was created in 2024 by Nicollette Roe to give young entrepreneurs a space to showcase their creativity and business skills. Today, the fair is proudly led by paid student interns from UW-Tacoma, making it an entirely youth-led event designed by young people, for young people.
59 booths participating
Wear It and Shine
CGjewelry
And 57 others.
Frequently asked questions
What is the eligible ages for the Tacoma Children’s Business Fair?
5-17 years old.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 55 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?
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. We highly suggest not having more than 3 participants per business to be eligible for cash prizes in the various business categories.
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?
I will do my best to accept different and varying business products and services as to create a market with lots of different ideas and to limit competition; however, if there are multiple vendors with similar products or services I will let you know so the later entrant can decide what to do.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be an indoor event with their own booths side by side throughout the event space. Each business will need to bring their own 6-foot table and a chair. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity as there are not enough outlets to accommodate every business if they needed them.
Will electricity be available?
Unfortunately, I am not able to provide electricity to the booths.
What are the rules?
This event is designed to give children and young people the experience of selling a product or service. If a parent or adult is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, they will not be eligible to compete for a cash prize in the different business categories as I don't want adults competing against young children. Thank you for your understanding around this!
Parents/adults may sit in the booth if there is room, or especially if you have a child needing the extra support for whatever reason, but other than that I encourage parents to take a step back on this day so the young people can be responsible for customer interaction and sales. You might be surprised at how well they do independently! I know I was when watching my 4-year old and 10-year old my first fair since they typically are pretty introverted. It was so awesome seeing them get a boost of confidence and pride in themselves from the experience.
Parents may help their child fill out the application, but we expect the children/young people to do as much as possible by themselves!
