Local kids stage their own marketplace for the holidays

By staff

An initiative to give kids an outlet to showcase and sell their hand-made wares is launching two upcoming holiday markets in the area.

Maine’s Young Entrepreneur Market started this past summer in Castine as a summer project designed to give children the chance to take center stage, creating, marketing, and selling their own handmade goods at a local market, accoprding to a press release.

“What started as a small, three-market summer series has now grown into a peninsula-wide effort, thanks to the enthusiasm of a Brooklin parent whose child participated this summer and wanted to bring the event closer to home,” the release said.

The first fall event will be held at Friend Memorial Library in Brooklin on Saturday, November 15, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM, with a rain location at the Brooklin School. This will be the library’s first-ever Young Entrepreneur Market, with a variety of young vendors, each 8th grade or younger, selling handmade crafts, baked goods, artwork, jewelry, and holiday-themed crafts. Space remains available for additional booths.

The second fall event will take place during the Castine Holly Berry Fair on Saturday, December 6, from 3:00–7:00 PM at the Castine Town Hall, where young entrepreneurs have been invited to join this cherished community holiday tradition.

Beyond offering locally made, kid-crafted gifts, many of the youth vendors also give back by donating part of their proceeds to local causes, organizers said.

“Each market celebrates creativity, entrepreneurship, and community spirit, helping children gain real-world experience in marketing, customer service, and small-business operations,” the press release said.

All children are welcome to participate, regardless of where they live. Parents and guardians are encouraged to register their child’s booth in advance to help organizers plan accordingly. To register a booth, email youthmarketcastine@gmail.com. For more information, follow Maine’s Young Entrepreneur Market on Facebook at @YouthMarketCastine.