Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania
Messiah University Campus Store
Eisenhower Campus Center, 1 University Ave., Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, USA
Up to 100 businesses
Currently accepting applications 🏁
Booth fee: $35
Apply for a booth RSVP as a shopperThe host reviews every application and replies by email.
Startups
Every child has an idea. At the Kidpreneurs Fair, they turn it into a business. Kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy — and open for customers at our one-day, farmers-market-style marketplace. No adults behindthe table. Just young founders, real customers, and real transactions.
The Kidpreneurs Fair is hosted by Ashruta Shettar and Pradeep Patil — IT
professionals and passionate parents of twin 10-year-old girls. The event is proudly sponsored by Sugaring NYC and made possible by the generous support of our donors and volunteers.
We believe principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation. Whether famous like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey, or one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, entrepreneurs make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs, and serve their communities.
What began in 2022 as a small community gathering has grown into one of Central PA's most inspiring & premeier youth entrepreneurship platforms.
2022 — The First Fair. 60 young entrepreneurs set up shop for the very first time, proving that Central PA’s kids were ready to build.
2024 — Growing Momentum. Over 85 young entrepreneurs participated to an extraordinary community response, with businesses ranging from handmade crafts to original hommade unique recepies.
2025 — A Milestone Year. Nearly 160 kidpreneurs filled the marketplace — more than 5x our founding year — with families, media, and community leaders in attendance. We had kids who later converted this into full time bsuiness as well.
2026 — Bigger Than Ever. 100 booths. Personalized letters from the Governor of Pennsylvania for every participant. A celebration of the next generation of founders.
- Submit one application per business. Children working as a group may submit a single application listing all participants. Upto 3 children allowed in a group.
- Businesses are judged in six age categories: 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14, and 15–16.
- Mixed-age groups are judged in the age category of the oldest participant.
- No soliciting of personal or individual business sponsors for your child’s product.
- Parents may assist with the application, but children are expected to do as much as possible on their own, appropriate to their age.
- Please double-check the spelling of the first and last name of every child participating in the booth. Name changes will not be allowed once certificates are printed.
- This year we are collecting the booth fee of $35 per booth during the application process to avoid the hassel of handling payment on the fair day.
- Accepted applicants are notified on a rolling basis until we reach our cap of 100 businesses.
Our judges are accomplished business leaders, public servants, and community champions who evaluate each business on creativity, presentation, and entrepreneurial spirit — and offer encouragement to our young founders carry for years.
- Ashley N. Walkowiak - Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women
- Samira Sankaran - Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Next Generation Engagement
- Application Fee — $35 Submitted with your application. If your child’s business is not
- Cancellations Booth cancellations made 7 or more days before the fair receive a full
- Change Deadline — 15 Days Before the Fair No changes to the application or the participating child’s name can be made within 15 days of the fair. Personalized certificates and letters from the Governor are printed in advance for each child.
Ashruta Shettar
🗓️ Started hosting in 2022
✅ Identity verified
⭐️ 3.7 (7)
29 booths participating
Hallie's Shop
Froggy Fudge Company
And 27 others.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Acton Children’s Business Fair?
The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneur. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own 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?
The fair will be a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with an 8-foot table (to share with one other business), full-cover tenting, and 1-2 chairs. Table cloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
What are the rules?
This event is designed to give children the experience of selling a product or service. 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 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. 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.
