Booths run by some of Arlington’s youngest entrepreneurs will be setting up at the Arlington County Fair this weekend, selling crafts, food and more.
Kids Markets will be hosting two kid-run markets on Saturday and Sunday at the fair, setting up booths in the upper field with goods such as jewelry, arts and crafts, crocheted items and fidget toys. Vendors aged 5-17 will be setting prices, handling transactions and pocketing their profits.
“We are developing children as young as five to be business owners and to develop leadership skills, communication skills, all the various things that are required to learn how to operate and run a business,” Catrina Clark, D.C.-area market manager for Kids Markets, told ARLnow.
Kids Markets is a nonprofit organization focused on developing children’s entrepreneurial skills.
“We are thrilled to bring the Children’s Entrepreneur Market to join great events in Arlington like the Arlington County Fair,” executive director of Kids Markets Lynée Fife said in a press release. “With vibrant small business communities in Arlington, this market is the perfect opportunity for kids to become business owners for a day, gain real-world experience, and develop confidence, independence, and responsibility.”
The event on Saturday is from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., while the Sunday market is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. A full list of merchandise is not currently available, but Clark said she’s seen everything from cakes to keychains to beaded jewelry. At a recent market, a seven-year-old was selling a book he had written.
“I think the more unique or the more niche of business it is, the more opportunity that child and family have to get involved in the markets,” Clark said. “Some of the things they come up with — I’m so amazed. Then they can have a plethora of customers come to them and they are put in a position to build that confidence.”
Clark says the main advantage of selling through Kids Markets is that it works to provide the kids with potential customers by promoting its events via social media, event postings and a 10,000-person email list. Representatives are also on hand to help child entrepreneurs at the event, and their registration fee is just $25.
Saturday’s registration is closed, with 40 booths filled, but Sunday’s event still has availability. There were 20 spots still open as of Tuesday, according to Clark.
Another Kids Markets event is coming to the Westpost shopping center in Pentagon City on Sept. 26. A full list of 22 upcoming events in the D.C. area is available on the organization’s website.
For Clark, the markets are about more than just giving kids a place to sell things. She says her favorite part of the events is watching them learn how to conduct business.
“Some children are just passionate about a certain, specific thing, and because they are passionate about that, they are given the space to develop that passion and to showcase that in front of others,” Clark said. “And that helps make them feel good about who they are.”
