Event Rules
- Participants must be between the ages of 6 and 17
- An adult must be present at the fair for the
duration of the event
- Kids must make and sell (or even resell) their own
products and/or services. Parents must not
interfere or make sales on their child's behalf -
this is an opportunity for them to learn for
themselves
- Payment for the booth ($30) will be due within
two weeks of booth acceptance. Payments are
invoiced via PayPal. Failure to pay may result in
the loss of the booth space
Event Schedule
Saturday, September 26
8 am - 9:30 am - Set up open
9:30 am - Welcome Ceremony, Vendor walk-around/Closed shopping
10 am - 2 pm - Public sale
2:15 pm - Awards ceremony
2 pm - 4 pm - Tear down
An optional set up will be Friday evening, times TBD
Competition Categories
Best Display, Ages 6-9
Best Display, Ages 10-13
Best Display, Ages 14-17
Best Sales Pitch, Ages 6-9
Best Sales Pitch, Ages 10-13
Best Sales Pitch, Ages 14-17
Most Unique Concept, Ages 6-9
Most Unique Concept, Ages 10-13
Most Unique Concept, Ages 14-17
Fan Favorite (General Public Voting)
Meet our Volunteer Judges
Joni Ross
Binkley-Ross Funeral Homes
Joni Ross is the owner and a licensed funeral director and embalmer at Binkley-Ross Family of Funeral Homes. As a lifelong Williamson County resident and local business owner, Joni understands the dedication, compassion, and hard work it takes to build a business that truly serves others. She believes a strong community is built by people who care for their neighbors, support one another, and invest in its future—making her an excellent judge of our young entrepreneurs. This will be Joni's third year judging our event.
William Lo
Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, Village of Cambria, New Kahala
William Lo is the executive director of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, village president of Cambria, and general manager of his family’s restaurant, New Kahala. Having grown up in the restaurant business, William brings decades of firsthand experience in hard work, entrepreneurship, and business growth. He is a passionate advocate for locally owned businesses and believes communities thrive when residents, business owners, and local leaders work together and support one another. This is William's second year judging.
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Bill Swinford
Swinford Media Group
Bill Swinford is the co-owner and publisher of Swinford Media Group, which includes The Marion Star, The Herrin Independent, The Carterville Courier, and WFCN News. He also is host of many popular podcasts in the region. With nearly 35 years of experience as a reporter, editor, and publisher, Bill understands both entrepreneurship and the importance of telling local stories. He believes strong communities depend on informed, connected residents and businesses that invest in one another—making him well qualified to recognize creativity, communication, and potential in our young entrepreneurs. This is Bill's first year as a judge for this event.
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Lee Messersmith
Benton, IL, Mayor, entrepreneur, youth leader
Lee Messersmith is the mayor of Benton, an entrepreneur, and a longtime advocate for youth entrepreneurship and community growth. Through launching and managing businesses and serving with programs that give young people real-world business experience, Lee understands what it takes to turn an idea into action. He believes strong communities are built through collaboration, bold thinking, and empowering people—especially young people—to recognize their potential and pursue big goals. This is Lee's first year judging at our event.
FAQ
How much is the booth fee?
A booth is $30
What is included in my entry fee?
Your booth, which is a 10x10 space, will have one table and one chair for each participant/guardian. If you need more tables, please let us know in advance and we will attempt to accommodate. Your entry will also include snacks and a goodie bag for each participant, as well as automatic entry into each of the competitions for your age group.
What can I sell?
Whatever you can think of! Five minute juggling lessons, jars of lemonade, jewelry made on-site, home-grown plants, if you can think it you can sell it. We do have some rules we have to follow, though:
- No sales of weapons or restricted items (soft bow and arrow, wooden swords, marshmallow shooters, or things along those lines are OK)
- No promotion of violence towards others
- No political items or anything that could be considered hate speech
- All food products sold must be pre-packaged with a label stating ingredients. No refrigerated or heated items can be sold
- No gift certificates - all items/services must be sold on-site
If you have a question about your product or service, please do not hesitate to contact us!
Will I be the only one with my product/service?
We are trying to encourage healthy competition and a realistic selling environment. With that said, you may have others that sell the same or at least similar products to yours. While we will try to limit the number of similar products (after all, we don't want nothing but a cupcake fair!), we will allow competition in each category, so make sure yours stands out from the crowd!
Do I need my parents with me?
You do need an adult guardian (parent, older sibling 18 or older, aunt, uncle, etc) to be present at the event. However, your adult cannot help you with your sales in any way. Guardians caught assisting in sales will lead to a disqualification of your business from the competition. Exceptions will be given to the young category to assist with things like making change.
How many of us can sign up for a group?
You can sign up as an individual or with your friends in a group of up to three people. Your age category will be based on the oldest person in the group.