Acton Children's Business Fair Halls Harbour, Canada event image
📣 4TH ANNUAL KIDTREPRENEUR BUSINESS FAIR HALL'S HARBOUR, KINGS COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA CANADA

Acton Children's Business Fair Halls Harbour, Canada

Monday, July 1, 2024

10:00AM - 3:00PM

Halls Harbour

NS, Canada

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About the fair
Observe the opportunity for children to launch their very own startup business!

Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace. 

We will host _12_ booths at the 4th annual event on Canada Day in Hall's Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada.  From 10:AM till 3:PM.  Set up will be on the Wharf in Hall's Harbour

This event is sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, 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 the HH Lobster Pound Restaurant  or Two Birds One Stone Farm, there are thousands of unsung business owners across Kings County and Nova Scotia, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs and serve their communities.  
Hosted by

Madonna Spinazola

🗓️ Started hosting in 2022

Identity verified

🚀 Has hosted 4 fairs

Madonna Spinazola, MBA – Chief Encourager of Big Dreams (Even the Pint-Sized Ones!)

Madonna Spinazola is no ordinary entrepreneur—she’s a powerhouse of purpose with a knack for lifting others up, whether it's through business smarts, community spirit, or creative flair. A lifelong volunteer and visionary, Madonna’s passion truly sparked when her granddaughter decided to start painting rocks—yes, rocks!—to sell in their beloved 120+ year-old General Store in Hall’s Harbour. Her goal? To help her dad buy school supplies. (Cue the proud tears.)

With a heart full of pride and paint-splattered stones, Madonna and her husband, professional photographer Dick Killam, saw something special. They rolled up their sleeves, helped nurture this tiny business dream, and soon realized: if one little girl had such big entrepreneurial energy, why not create a space for more young creators to shine?

And just like that, the Kidtrepreneur Business Fair was born in 2021—thanks to Madonna’s spark, a dash of research (hello, Children’s Business Organization!), and generous sponsorship from Spinazola & Associates and Parker’s General Store.

This joyful annual event gives youth the chance to dream, create, and launch their own mini-businesses—from homemade crafts to clever solutions for everyday problems. Madonna believes kids are natural entrepreneurs—they just need the opportunity and support to explore their ideas.

Though she’s been the driving force behind the fair (with a little help from friends at the Hants Kings Business Development Corporation and the Town of Kentville Mentoring Plus group), Madonna dreams of growing the event with even more workshops, mentors, and magic. She’s on the lookout for partners, sponsors, and big-hearted business folks who want to inspire the next generation of change-makers.

Once a year, the Kidtrepreneur Fair becomes a celebration of creativity, courage, and kid-sized business savvy—because every young dream deserves a chance to shine!

Frequently asked questions

What is the Acton Children’s Business Fair?


The Kidtrepreneur  Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurship, doing what they love to do, have fun, and reconize the value of their creations.

How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to12 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. 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?
Each business will be given an 8-foot table (to share with one other business),  and 1-2 chairs. Table cloths will not be provided. 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. Parents should not sell or promote a product or service, 
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 child fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.

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 so they created the first Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin, Texas, in 2007. In 2021 Spinazola & Associatesm founder, Madonna Spinazola, decided to Launch a Kidtrepreneur Business Event in her home community of Hall's Harbour.  There is no age limit on this Annual Event, and it is open to anyone (doesn't matter where you live). We are always looking for sponsors or any interested party to help with the coordination of this event.

Our incredible sponsors

Children's Business Fair

Acton Academy

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