— the first fair. 17 booths, in Yaletown.
What happens when children run the market?
The Vancity Children's Business Fair is part of the Acton Children's Business Fair.
It is a one-day outdoor market in Vancouver where children aged 6 to 14 sell what they
have made to real customers. They make it, brand it, price it, and pitch it.
The record so far
— 28 businesses, 40 children, about 200 visitors. The youngest seller was six.
They watched what worked at another table and copied it.
The Vancity fair ended with children trading booth to booth
Read the first-hand account of what happened across four hours at the 2026 fair.
What happens
They make it, brand it, price it, and pitch it to real customers.
Before the day
A child decides what to sell and makes or prepares it. They name the business, build a brand, and make their own signage. They set their own prices.
On the day
Booths open at 11 and close at 3. Each business sets up its own table. The child runs the booth. That's the rule, and it's the whole design. Anyone can come and shop.
What we didn't plan for
Field note · 2026
“The best parts of the day were not on the schedule.”
What we didn't plan for
Some children stood behind their tables at 11 with no idea how to start. Then a few began walking the field with their products in hand, talking to strangers and inviting them back. Before long, more of them were doing the same. Nobody instructed them. They watched what worked at another table and copied it.
One young seller brought out a cello and played to draw people over. A group of four made flyers and handed them out around the neighbourhood before the fair had even started.
And about thirty minutes before closing, they began trading with each other. Booth to booth, product for product, negotiating. That part nobody organized at all.
From the 2026 fair. Read the full account of the day
Who it's for
If your child wants a booth
They should be between six and fourteen, and they should want it. A parent can help with anything except the selling.
If you're coming to shop
Expect handmade. Expect a seller who is nervous at 11 in the morning. Expect to be pitched by an eight-year-old. That's not a flaw in the day. It's the point of it.
Nobody taught them to walk the field and talk to strangers. They worked it out from each other, in four hours, because the customers were real and so was the risk of a no.
The fair makes their capability visible. Trellis builds around it every day.
Meaningful work. Real choices. Real responsibility. Trellis is a learner-driven Acton community opening in Vancouver.
See how Trellis worksHear when the next fair is announced.
One email when the date is set.