Tacoma Children's Business Fair
Saturday, August 23, 2025
12:00PM - 3:00PM
Currently accepting applications 🏁
Apply to the fair
About the fair
This is a one day event where young people ages 5-17 get to launch their business venture for-a-day!
The kids develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at our one-day marketplace!
This fair will be outside in People’s Park, during the Hilltop Street Fair, and kidpreneurs are required to bring their own table, chair, tent, etc.— anything they would need to set up their booth just like a real market.
This event is different in that it will require a $15 vendor fee. It will need to be paid as part of your acceptance as a vendor. If this is an issue for you please contact us directly at tacomacbf@gmail.com.
The kids fair will still be from 12-3pm; so, not the entirety of the Hilltop street fair!
The kids fair will still be from 12-3pm; so, not the entirety of the Hilltop street fair!
Hosted by
Nicollette Roe
🗓️ Started hosting in 2024
✅ Identity verified
⭐️ 4.8 (46)
The Tacoma Children’s Business Fair was created in 2024 by Nicollette Roe to give young entrepreneurs a space to showcase their creativity and business skills. Today, the fair is proudly led by paid student interns from UW-Tacoma, making it an entirely youth-led event designed by young people, for young people.
40 booths participating
Eva Kearns Books
Emery's Menagerie
And 38 others.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply? Can I apply as part of a group?
Applications open up one month prior to the fair. Applications must be submitted online. Please submit ONE application PER business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child's information. No more than 3 participants per business.
What if someone else has the same business idea?
I do my best to limit the same business concept to deter too much competition between those companies and to allow for each business to try to make as much money as possible.
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be a tented outdoor event with booths. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity. If your application is accepted, you will be emailed a site map with booth locations ahead of time.
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 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.
Spirit of the fair
Young people are the decision makers in everything regarding their business. As adults, we know a lot and get excited for our kids so we want to give suggestions and advice on what to do or how to do it. But the magic is in letting the young people create something themselves, in the way they uniquely do it, and celebrating that. You would be surprised at how well they do when we take a step back and let them do their thing, and how well their ideas are received whether it’s a product or service, to the rest of the public. Please support them by letting them lead. They are getting real-life practice in decision making during the prep phase of the fair and real-life practice in execution of their plans, selling, presenting, and counting money on the event day. It’s not about perfection either, just progress. We can learn from all the things that come up and we don’t want to try and control that! Just go with the flow :)
