St. Charles Children's Business Fair event image
📣 DATE CHANGE! Our fair will now be on May 31 due to Memorial Day programming at the LSL Farmer's Market. Applications Are Now Open and Filling Fast!

St. Charles Children's Business Fair

Saturday, May 31, 2025

8:00AM - 12:15PM

Meadow Circle Drive

Meadow Cir Dr, Lake St Louis, MO 63367, USA

Currently accepting applications 🏁

Apply to the fair
About the fair
COULD A TEN-YEAR-OLD INVENT THE NEXT ÜBER?
Find out at the St. Charles Children’s Business Fair (CBF), showcasing kids’ entrepreneurial genius!

Take part in this exciting opportunity for children in our community to launch their very own pop-up businesses for a day!

Kids take the lead, creating a product or service, developing a brand, building a marketing strategy, then opening for customers at this unique one-day marketplace. The kidpreneurs are responsible for setup, sales, and interactions with customers.

We believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.  Whether an entrepreneur is famous like Elon Musk or they are one of the thousands of unsung business owners across this country, these are the people who make sacrifices to innovate, create jobs, and serve their communities.

Award Certificates and prizes will be presented for “Most Business Potential,” “Most Creative Business Idea,” “Most Impressive Display”, and "Most Impressive PItch".

We have tentatively scheduled our 6th annual CBF event for May 24, 2025, from 8:00am – 12:00pm, with an Awards Ceremony following from 12:00pm - 12:15pm.  

This community event is brought to you by Lighthouse International: an Acton Academy,  Acton Academy, and the Acton School of Business, along with our generous sponsors.
Hosted by

Eliza Rivas

🗓️ Started hosting in 2019

✅ Identity verified

🚀 Has hosted 7 fairs

Eliza Rivas – Host, St. Charles Acton Children's Business Fair

Eliza is the founder of Lighthouse International, the first Acton Academy in Missouri, and has been empowering young entrepreneurs through the St. Charles Acton Children’s Business Fair for six years. She believes that every child is a hero in the making and is passionate about connecting young minds with real-world opportunities to foster independence, creativity, and leadership.

With over 25 years of experience in education, Eliza has dedicated her career to helping young people develop into global citizens who will one day better their communities and the world. 

Her diverse background includes roles as a college admission counselor, an adjunct university professor, a high school Spanish teacher, and an elementary school English Language Assistant in Madrid, Spain. Throughout her career, she has received multiple awards and grants and has served as a mentor to educators nationwide.

Eliza is excited to continue championing young entrepreneurs through the 6th Annual St. Charles Acton Children’s Business Fair, where she looks forward to seeing the next generation of business leaders in action!

20 booths participating

Taylor the Treat Maker

Adora's Adorables!

And 18 others.

Contact host

Frequently asked questions

What is the Acton Children’s Business Fair?

The Acton Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurs. The largest entrepreneurship event for kids in North America, this one-day market allows children to showcase their very own businesses.

How many businesses will you accept?

We are capped at 40 children’s businesses.

Is there a cost?
$7 vendor fee (can be paid through Venmo, mailed in, or brought the morning of.  Please address checks to:
Lighthouse International: an Acton Academy
5718 Lake St. Louis Blvd, Lake St Louis, MO 63367

Where should I begin? 




Entrepreneurship Games



Coffee Shop Game - Play Game
Price Point Game - Play Game
Galactic Zappers Game - Play Game
Robo Rush Game - Play Game
Fistful of Dollars Game - Play Game
Lemonade Stand-Off Game - Play Game 

How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?




Applications must be submitted online AT THIS SITE only, NOT through the farmer’s market. Please submit ONE application for each business. Children working as a group in one business should submit one application that includes each child’s information. No more than 3 participants per business.  Siblings who are selling different things should register separately.

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 already had a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.

How is payment made?



Each business can bring a cash box (WITH change) OR accept electronic payments with QR codes posted.  A great discussion question would be how customer receipts will be handled!

How will the fair be set up?




The fair will be an outdoor event. Each business will BRING THEIR OWN 4-6' table, a canopy tent (if desired - 40lbs weight required for each tent leg), lawn chairs, and table covering/decorations. A water bottle and snacks may also be a good idea.  

Will electricity be available?




Unfortunately, we are unable to provide electricity to businesses.  However, business have brought small generators in the past.

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, or if the product and/or display has received noticeable adult assistance, their child’s business will be disqualified from the competition.  For competition purposes, products must be child-made or heavily customized/personalized by the child. Store-bought items may not be presented as child-made, and non-customized products (water bottles, sodas, snacks) may not be sold as they compete with the actual Farmer's Market vendors. Lighthouse International will provide a goodie bag to each child's business.  

Parents of younger children may sit at the back of the booth, but the children should be responsible for setting up, customer interaction, and sales. NO adults should be interacting with customers on behalf of the business (selling, accepting payment, packaging, or delivering)

Parents may help their children 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. Over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees are now at the Acton Children’s Business Fair in Austin.

Our incredible sponsors

Children's Business Fair

Acton Academy

Next Great Adventure

Lighthouse International: an Acton Academy

Bankhead Orthodontic Specialists

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© 2025 Acton Children's Business Fair, by Acton Academy.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy

The Acton Children's Business Fair does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin and admits and gives all hosts and participants access to the same rights, privileges, programs and activities.