The Red River Children’s Business Fair inspires children to discover their inner entrepreneurs. The largest entrepreneurship event for children in North America, this one-day market gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses. 
 

Will there be an informational for the parents? 

A virtual and in-person informational will be held. More information will be released in September. 

When and where will it be held?
 

     The fourth annual Red River Children’s Business Fair will be held on a Saturday, May 25,2024, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at  Southern Hills Park Community Center. Businesses can start setting up at 08:00 am.
 

 

What is the rain date?
 

The event will be held indoors so there will not be a rain date. 
 

 

What other important dates do I need to know about?
 

     The Red River Children’s Business Fair will hold an interest informational. More information will be released in December. The informational is an opportunity to learn more about the business fair, ask questions, and meet other young entrepreneurs.
 

 

Does my child have to attend the informational to be eligible to apply for the business fair?
 

 

No.
 

 

Who can participate?
 

Children who are ages 6 to 18 on the date of the business fair can participate.
 

 

How does it work?
 

Young entrepreneurs first make an important decision: they hire themselves! They then bring their parents or guardians to the launch party. The launch party is an opportunity to learn more about the business fair, ask questions, and meet other young entrepreneurs.
 

Following the informational, young entrepreneurs submit an application and then begin to build a product or service. They plan their business at every level: product/service, marketing, accounting, cost of goods, pricing, and more.
 

 

Accepted applicants will sell their product or service to real customers from a booth at the fair.
 

 

How many businesses will you accept?
 

We will accept up to 32 businesses.
 

 

Is there a fee to participate?
 

There will be a $35 registration fee for all accepted business participants.
 

Prizes will be given for the best businesses by age and category. Registration covers one T-shirt and entry into the fair. Prizes will given by category. You can register below. 
 

 

Where should I begin? 
 

Start with our resources page.
 

 

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

The 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.
 

What is on the application?
The application asks children 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 has a similar idea so the later entrant can decide what to do.
 

 

How will the fair be set up?
 

The fair will be a an indoor  event with booths. Each business will be given  an 8-foot table (to share with one other business),  Chairs and table cloths will not be provided. We are able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.
 

Yes. We believe that starting and running your own business is its own reward, but in order to recognize those entrepreneurs who went above and beyond, we have awards in specific categories: most original business ideas, best branding/marketing, and best sales presentation.
 

All entries will be automatically entered into the business competition. 
 

Judges will ask the entrepreneurs questions about the fundamentals of their business, such as how they came up with product prices and who their target market is. Judges will also evaluate how much of the business reflects the child's own work (versus the parents'). Cash prizes will be presented at the end of the fair.
 

 

What are the rules? 
 

This event is designed to give children the experience of creating a business and selling a product or service. If a parent is found creating a business for a child or selling or promoting a child’s product or service, the 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 setting up, customer interaction, and sales.
 

Parents may help their children fill out the application, but we expect the children to do as much as possible by themselves.
 

 

What advice do you have for parents?
 

Please remember to keep this about the child. Let them imagine, create, and problem-solve. Your job is to maintain enthusiasm and provide encouragement.

Keep it simple. This is a children’s fair. Let the business plan, booth, and sales reflect your child at their best, not your best.

Let your child do the work. Let them make mistakes and learn from them. Let them problem-solve and come up with their own solutions. Let them be messy! Let your child be the Chair of the Board, CEO, and owner of his/her ideas.

If your child gets stuck, return to the key question for her entrepreneurial journey: “What can I make with my own hands that others might enjoy?”
 

 

Where should I begin? 
 

Start with our resources page. Read inspiring stories about other young entrepreneurs and play games to hone your business skills.

 

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

The 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.

 

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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 an 8-foot table (to share with one other business), full-cover tenting, and 1-2 chairs. Tablecloths will not be provided. We are not able to accommodate businesses requiring electricity.

 

Will electricity be available?
 

We will be 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. 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 setting up, customer interaction, and sales.
 

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. Now, there are over 115 entrepreneurs and 1,500 attendees at the Acton Children's Business Fair in Austin.