How old can young entrepreneurs be?

The Young Entrepreneur Village is built for ages 6 to 17. Younger kids participate alongside a parent or guardian.

Handmade goods, art, crafts, jewelry, stickers, candles (with parent help), baked goods under Colorado cottage food rules, dog treats, lemonade, slime, services like pet care or tutoring — almost anything they can produce themselves.

Do parents need to stay?

Yes. A parent or guardian needs to be present at the market, though we encourage stepping back to let the young entrepreneur run their booth.

Founding Marketplace Partner kid-business pricing will be announced with our inaugural venue. We are committed to keeping kid-business pricing accessible.

What if my kid is nervous?

Most kids are at their first market — and most surprise themselves. Our crowd is famously supportive, and we run informal mentorship for new young vendors.

Yes. We run a Future Founder Awards program at every market recognizing standout young entrepreneurs in categories like Best Booth, Best Product, and Most Improved.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR VILLAGE

Where the next great Colorado business starts.

The Young Entrepreneur Village isn't a side attraction. It's the heart of Colorado Family Market — built for kids ages 6 to 17 to run their own real booths, sell to real customers, and leave with their first real cash box.

Join as a Young Entrepreneur Explore the Resource Hub

Young Colorado entrepreneur smiling proudly at her first market booth

WHY IT EXISTS

Every great business starts with one customer.

Most kids never get the chance to find that first customer. Farmers markets don't take craft. Craft fairs don't take kids. Maker pop-ups are too occasional. So kids stay in the audience.

We're changing that. The Young Entrepreneur Village gives every Colorado kid the same chance an adult vendor gets — a real booth, a real audience, and a real Saturday they'll remember.

FOR KIDS

What every young entrepreneur leaves with.

Run a real business

Real customers. Real money. Real lessons that no classroom delivers.

Build confidence

Talking to strangers, handling rejection, closing a sale — confidence built one customer at a time.

Earn and manage money

Three-jar approach: save, give, spend. A skill that lasts a lifetime.

Recognition

Future Founder Awards recognize standout young entrepreneurs at every market.

FOR FAMILIES

A weekend activity worth driving for.

Parents tell us the same thing every time: their kid changed. The driveway conversations got bigger. The questions got better. The cash box matters more than the screen.

A weekend activity that's actually meaningful

A built-in support network of other entrepreneur families

Real-world money lessons in real time

A reason to slow down a Saturday together

WHAT KIDS CAN SELL

Almost anything they can produce themselves.

A non-exhaustive list to get the brainstorm going. Some of the best businesses we've seen weren't on anyone's list.

Lemonade & hot chocolateFriendship braceletsHand-painted rocksCustom stickersSlimeHand-poured candlesDog treats (with parent help)Beaded keychainsGreeting cardsOrigami flowersPlant cuttingsPainted denimEmbroidered scrunchiesCottage-food cookiesPhotography sessionsDog walkingTech tutoringCustom artwork

See 50 ideas with starter steps

RESOURCE HUB