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 gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.

Registration will end on June 9th, 2024.
How many businesses will you accept?

We will accept up to 30 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.

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?

Yes, there will be prizes for vendors! There are 3 categories:

Best Product: Awarded to the vendor who accurately anticipates customer preferences.
Best Marketer: Recognizes the most charismatic and enthusiastic vendors who embody the event's spirit.
Best Display: Showcase your creativity by designing the most visually appealing table.

Vendors should arrive between 9 am to 10 am to set up their booth and be ready to go by 11 am!
Are there any additional vendor requirements?

Vendors are expected to bring their own tables and chairs
Tents are optional but must be weighed down; no staking allowed
Table rental available for $10
Chair rental available for $5
Please email us at vancouveryouthbusinessfair@gmail.com if you would like to rent tables or chairs

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 a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will either bring or rent a table, bring a full-cover tenting (optional), and 1-2 chairs. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

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.

Yes! According to the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation:

Shopping Bags: Vendors must not provide or distribute single-use plastic shopping bags. Encourage the use of reusable bags or paper bags instead.
Cups: Single-use plastic cups are prohibited. Vendors should opt for compostable or recyclable cups made from alternative materials.
Utensils: Disposable plastic utensils are not allowed. Vendors should provide compostable or reusable utensils for customers.
Straws: Plastic straws are banned. Vendors should offer paper, bamboo, or other environmentally friendly alternatives, or only provide straws upon request.
Foam Cups/Containers: Styrofoam or foam cups/containers are not permitted. Vendors must use alternative materials that are compostable or recyclable.

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.