Acton Children's Business Fair Holyoke, MA
Saturday, December 15, 2018
12:30PM - 3:30PM
Up to 25 businesses
This fair has ended
🖐Kids Make Change❤
Rock Paper City brings Financial Literacy learning to life with it's program; The Pioneer Valley Children's Business Fair! This program is a project-based learning experience that invites kids ages 6 to 16 to create a product or service, develop a brand, build a marketing strategy and then open for customers at a one-day, pop-up marketplace.
📅Saturday, December 15th 📅
🕛12 pm to 3 pm🕒
Support children in the Pioneer Valley as they embrace the opportunity to launch their very own startup business for a day! Check out our pop-up marketplace for a day of commerce, education and fun! Products range from greeting cards to headbands to and much more! There's something in every price range with items starting as low as $0.25, making this a great opportunity for your kiddos to purchase gifts for family and friends!
🖐KIDS GIVE BACK❤
Participating child businesses keep all of their profits and donate 2% of their earnings to effect positive local impact. This Fair will benefit Metcalf Dual- Language Public School's developing music program.
🎁Wrap up your holiday shopping then take advantage of our Gift Wrapping Station!🎁
🎅Don't forget your letter for Santa's✉
📮Big Red Mailbox 📮
Macy's 🌟 Make-a-Wish Campaign
👋❤GIVES $1 for every letter❤👋
👟👠Bring your gently worn or new adult or kids shoes for the final day of Metcalf's Shoe Drive!👡👞
🎉🎈 Sign up to help Birthday Wishes of Western Massachusetts bring birthday parties to children in homeless shelters by having friends bring birthday party pack donations instead of gifts to your party. A great way to get a jump start on that New Year's resolution.
🎠 Ride the Merry-Go-Round for just $2 or make a donation. This local treasure survives on donations alone!
📸 Snap a Selfie with Elfie in our Holiday Photo Booth for just $1 or climb in the sleigh with Santa and take home a photo for $5
🎨Add to our "Metcalf Reaches for the STARS" Mural by tracing, coloring & cutting out your handprint for $2 or paint a mini canvas to take home for $5!
🖊SIGN UP for volunteer opportunities with various organizations across Pioneer Valley!
🌎 Help the environment by pledging your cans, bottles and tabs to ODS recycling.♻️
👮♂️🚔 Take a moment to Thank First Responders who work tirelessly to keep us safe! 🚒👨🚒
📝 Write a letter of thanks and holiday greetings to servicemen overseas. 🇺🇸
Lhea Destromp
🗓️ Started hosting in 2018
🚀 Has hosted 1 fair
6 booths participating
Inside/ Outside
Planet Salve
And 4 others.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.
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.
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?
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.
The fair will be an indoor event. Each business will be given an 8-foot table. Table cloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
Limited electricity will be available. Please describe your need for electricity in your application and it will be considered.
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.
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.
