Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania 2026
Big Ideas. Small CEOs. One Very Inspiring Marketplace.
Young entrepreneurs ages 5–16 are invited to build a business, create something of their own and open shop at Messiah University on September 19.
Young entrepreneurs turn their ideas into real businesses at Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania.
What happens when we stop telling kids their ideas are “just pretend” and hand them a table, a business plan and real customers instead?
At Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania, kids do not simply display a project. They develop a brand, create a product or service, think through pricing and marketing, and then operate their own business in a one-day, farmers-market-style marketplace. Parents can encourage, carry a few boxes and quietly resist the urge to take over, but the young founders are the ones behind the table.
This Is More Than a Cute Craft Table
Yes, the marketplace will be filled with colorful booths, handmade products and kids who are very ready to explain why you absolutely need what they are selling. But the real magic happens long before the doors open.
The application asks each young entrepreneur to consider what a product costs to make, what customers should pay, how startup expenses will be funded, how the business will be marketed and what success will look like at the end of the day. Those are big questions, but they turn a creative idea into a genuine learning experience involving math, communication, problem-solving, planning and confidence.
It is the kind of learning that rarely feels like an assignment because there is something wonderfully motivating about a real customer holding real money and saying, “I would like to buy the thing you made.”
Young entrepreneurs bring their talents, ideas and original products to the marketplace.
From 60 Young Entrepreneurs to a Marketplace of Possibility
Hosted by Ashruta Shettar and Pradeep Patil, Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania began in 2022 with 60 young entrepreneurs. The organizers report that participation grew to more than 85 young entrepreneurs in 2024 and nearly 160 in 2025.
For 2026, the fair will accept up to 100 businesses. Each participant is also expected to receive a personalized letter from the Governor of Pennsylvania. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, which means families should not wait until the night before the deadline, when every parent suddenly discovers the printer is out of ink and the business still needs a name.
What Young Entrepreneurs Need to Know
One Business, One Application
Children may apply individually or in a team of up to three. One application should be submitted for each business.
Six Age Categories
Businesses are judged in age groups 5–6, 7–8, 9–10, 11–12, 13–14 and 15–16. A mixed-age team competes in the category of its oldest member.
The Kids Run the Booth
Parents may help younger children as needed, but the kids are expected to handle setup, customer conversations, promotion and sales.
Applications Are Reviewed
A booth is not confirmed until the application is accepted. If a business is not accepted, the $35 fee is refunded.
Businesses may be created by one child or a team of up to three young entrepreneurs.
Parents: Your Job Is to Help Without Becoming the Unpaid CEO
Parents may assist with the application and provide age-appropriate guidance, but children should do as much of the work as possible. At the fair, adults may sit with younger participants, but they cannot sell or promote the product for them.
In other words: help them think, help them plan and maybe help them transport 47 jars of slime. Then let them talk to the customers.
No Budding Business Owner at Home? Come Shop.
The fair needs more than young founders. It needs customers who will ask questions, admire clever displays and spend a few dollars supporting the courage it takes to place something you created on a table and invite the world to judge it.
Families can RSVP in advance to receive a calendar invitation and fair-day reminder. Come ready to browse, encourage and possibly leave with handmade treasures you did not know you needed until a very persuasive 8-year-old explained them.
What Could Your Kid Build?
Applications are open and accepted on a rolling basis until the fair reaches its cap of 100 businesses. Whether your child already has a logo and a five-year growth plan or is still staring at a pile of craft supplies waiting for inspiration, this is their invitation to begin.
Apply for a Booth RSVP as a Shopper See the Directory & Meet the KidpreneursEvent information was verified through the official Kidpreneurs Fair Pennsylvania listing on July 30, 2026. Details may change; confirm current information with the event organizer before attending.
