Acton Children's Business Fair Ashland, Massachusetts
Saturday, September 12, 2026
11:00AM - 3:00PM
Currently accepting applications 🏁
Apply to the fair
About the fair
Attention all aspiring young entrepreneurs!
We are excited to announce the opportunity for children to launch their very own startup business! Participants will create a brand, develop a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and open for customers at our one-day marketplace.
Join us for the 2nd Annual event, featuring 25 booths, taking place from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. More details about the venue will be provided soon.
Registration is open for young entrepreneurs at a fee of $25 per business.
This event is proudly sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and generously supported by our donors and volunteers. We believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Whether they are famous figures like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey, or the countless unsung business owners across the country, entrepreneurs make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs, and serve their communities.
We are excited to announce the opportunity for children to launch their very own startup business! Participants will create a brand, develop a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and open for customers at our one-day marketplace.
Join us for the 2nd Annual event, featuring 25 booths, taking place from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. More details about the venue will be provided soon.
Registration is open for young entrepreneurs at a fee of $25 per business.
This event is proudly sponsored by Acton Academy, the Acton School of Business, and generously supported by our donors and volunteers. We believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
Whether they are famous figures like Elon Musk or Oprah Winfrey, or the countless unsung business owners across the country, entrepreneurs make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs, and serve their communities.
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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.
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.
How many businesses will you accept?
We will accept up to 30 businesses.
We will accept up to 30 businesses.
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.
There is a $25 registration fee for every registered booth. An email link will be sent out after approval.
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.
There is a $25 registration fee for every registered booth. An email link will be sent out after approval.
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?
Will electricity be available?
Unfortunately, we are not able to provide electricity to the booths.
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. If a parent is found selling or promoting a child’s product or service, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.
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 setting 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.
