Children's Business Fair
Does your child have something they’re passionate about? The Children’s Business Fair of Port St. Lucie provides an opportunity for them to showcase their idea to the world — and make some money.
- Tradition Square (10799 SW Civic Ln)
- Saturday, February 7, 2026
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It's like a Farmer's Market — but all the vendors are kids!
These “kidpreneurs” develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and open for customers at our one-day marketplace.
We all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.
The Children’s Business Fair is open to all families who want their child (ages 5-17) to have the opportunity to:
- Make something with his or her own hands
- Sell it (safely) to a stranger
- Experience the freedom (and responsibility) of having a little extra spending money as a reward
Cash prizes will be awarded for Best Salesmanship, Most Creative, and Highest Business Potential, as determined by local entrepreneur judges.
Applications will close on January 15, 2026 or once all spots are filled.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Tradition Square
Real-world learning through failure and competition
Every year, there are a large number of businesses that sell similar items, in particular lemonade and bracelets. Whereas normal markets would limit the number of similar vendors, we do not.
Most young people do not have the opportunity to experience competition when learning about entrepreneurship. When a child sets up a lemonade stand in their neighborhood, they’re usually the only lemonade stand around. People buy from them because you want to support an aspiring entrepreneur — it’s only $1, after all.
But the purpose of the Children’s Business Fair is not to simulate markets and competition. It is to provide children the opportunity to be entrepreneurs.
We welcome competition at the fair because it has helped previous fair participants make important but hard choices about their business. What is my unique selling proposition? Why should people by my bracelet or lemonade and not the booth just a couple of spots away?
That may mean some children “fail” by not getting very many sales or generating a profit. Good. Failure is the most important thing entrepreneurs must experience and face. It’s better for them to fail early, often, and cheaply now so they’re ready to succeed as job creators, bosses, creatives, and innovators needed in the ever-changing global economy.
FAQ
Questions about Participation
Will electricity be available?
No, no electricity will be available. Businesses that require electricity should contact the event organizers first; we can accommodate a limited number of generators.
Can I help my child with cash or service at the fair? 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 may be disqualified from earning the cash prizes and may be disqualified from attending the next fair.
Parents may sit in the booth, but the children should be responsible for as much as possible — set up, salesmanship, and handling cash. We understand some children may not know how to count cash or will need help with something like setting up the canopy. We leave it up to them and you to decide how to handle the various nuances that may arise.
Can my child accept electronic payments like credit cards?
- How will you handle transactions?
- Are you considering both cash and electronic payments?
- If yes, how? Are you going to buy a card reader?
- How will you pay for it — a loan from mom and dad, gift money, etc.?
- How will you store that money?
What time does the fair start and end?
The fair is advertised as starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. It is recommended that families arrive at 8:30 a.m. Families may arrive earlier but may not be able to access their specific space or receive help from event staff.
Can my child sell food or drinks?
Since this event is being held in Tradition Square, Florida state laws has certain requirements regarding selling food and drink, including food preparation and cottage laws. Please review the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website and these two PDF handouts if this applies to your business idea:
Do we bring our own table and tent?
We are providing one 6’ table and one chair per kidpreneur at each booth. Families are responsible for bringing their own 10’x10′ tent or canopy.
What quantity of product does my entrepreneur need to make?
How do the awards work?
An exciting part of the fair is the addition of cash prizes. While no child has to be focused on earning the prizes, it serves as real-world feedback about their presentation and ideas.
We have asked local entrepreneurs to be judges at the fair who will make determinations for the winners of three $50 cash prizes: Best Presentation, Most Creative, and Highest Business Potential.
There will be three versions of each award given out to entrepreneurs in the following age categories: 5-7, 8-11, and 12-14. That means there will be three recipients of the Best Presentation award — one in the 5-7 category, one in the 8-11 category, and one in the 12-14 category
Judges may choose to reveal themselves as judges or keep it a secret, so do your best regardless!
How will the fair be set up?
The fair will be a tented outdoor event with booths. Each business will be given a booth with a 6′ table and 2 chairs. Tents and tablecloths will not be provided.
Every booth is required to have a 10’x10′ canopy tent. The fair will only provide one 6′ table and two chairs for every business. Families must bring their own tents.
We recommend looking for Ozark Trail canopies at Walmart if you want to buy one of your own, or a kidpreneur could ask a local business if they’d be willing to sponsor your booth by providing one. Your young entrepreneurs could even count it as a startup cost they must pay back to their “investors.”
How many people attend the event?
Our last fair had 2,000 people in attendance. That was at the parking lot of a church. This fair will be held at Tradition Square, which hosts events that frequently receive thousands of attendees.
Questions about the Application Process
How much does it cost to participate?
There is a $25 Booth Reservation Fee.
We recommend parents ask the “kidpreneurs” to consider $25 as startup costs that they must pay back — if it’s money they had to get from somewhere else.
The weeks prior to the fair, we will reach out to all the applicants to confirm participation via the email address provided. If you do not confirm participation, your space will be forfeited, and you will not be eligible for a refund for your booth fee.
Every booth is required to have a 10’x10′ canopy tent. The fair will only provide one 6′ table and two chairs for every business. Families must bring their own tents.
We recommend looking for Ozark Trail canopies at Walmart if you want to buy one of your own, or a kidpreneur could ask a local business if they’d be willing to sponsor your booth by providing one. Your young entrepreneurs could even count it as a startup cost they must pay back to their “investors.”
Is the Booth Fee refundable?
We recommend looking for Ozark Trail canopies at Walmart if you want to buy one of your own, or a kidpreneur could ask a local business if they’d be willing to sponsor your booth by providing one. Your young entrepreneurs could even count it as a startup cost they must pay back to their “investors.”
Is my spot guaranteed if I'm accepted?
Yes, so long as you also respond to our communications requesting confirmation of participation.
The number one reason parents lose out on participating is they give bad contact information or do not respond to our confirmation emails. If we cannot contact you to confirm participation by January 10, 2026, we will assume that you’re no longer participating and withdraw your application. If you apply after that date and are accepted, you will also be reached out to for confirmation and must confirm within 7-days.
If you do not confirm participation, your space will be forfeited, and you will not be eligible for a refund for your booth fee.
I applied but haven't heard back about anything. What's the status of my application?
You will hear from us if you are accepted or not. Please make sure to check the email you provided in the application. Each year, we have to reject several applications because parents did not check the emails they provided or respond to confirm their participation.
If you have not received an acceptance email, your business has not been accepted. Search your inbox for emails from [email protected] or [email protected], or check your Spam folder if you haven’t received anything.
The number one reason we reject applications is if parents give bad contact information or do not respond to our confirmation emails.
We have multiple children wanting to do different businesses. Can we apply as a group?
Each application is for one individual business. Children working as a group should submit one application that includes each child’s information.
How many children can participate at a single business?
No more than 4 children can be listed as owners of one business. They may choose to hire employees beyond that 4 count, but those employees’ names will not be on the official records of the fair and if they win the award.
What if someone else has the same business idea?
Two cupcake businesses? Not a problem. In general, we will let market forces play out. This is one of the greatest advantages of the business fair compared to traditional entrepreneurship experiences for children — they get to experience competition and have to learn how to stand out.
Please note that in the past, we have had numerous businesses that sell the following:
- Handmade jewelry
- Food and drinks
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start a business in that “industry” if you want to, but just be aware that competition is fierce.
It also doesn’t mean that will be the same this year. We have lots of creative young entrepreneurs on the Treasure Coast, so what can you do to make your business stand out? Do you need a compelling story? A brand or visual identity? Sharp salesmanship skills?
What quantity of product does my entrepreneur need to make?
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?
