Elliot displays his creations at the Little Boat Printing booth. (Photos by Emily Baierl)
Dozens of young entrepreneurs set up shop Saturday at the Menifee Children’s Business Fair to turn their hobbies and ideas into real businesses for a day.
Held at the Faith Lutheran Church, the event featured booths run by kids selling items ranging from handmade jewelry and crocheted animals to kettle corn and lemonade.
Organizer Cynthia Nemelka said the event has grown quickly since it first launched last year.
“A year ago, this was just an idea,” Nemelka said. “Now, at our third fair, 56 kids signed up to run their own mini businesses, and we continue to be blown away by their creativity, confidence and charm.”
For many of the vendors, the fair was their first experience running a business.
Elliot, whose business is called Little Boat Printing, ran a booth selling 3D-printed fidgets and articulated animals. He said he and his brother started experimenting with the 3D printer in December.
Using a Bamboo Lab printer, he downloads designs through an app and prints them using different types of filament ,depending on the item.
“We’re trying to get the money back for the printer,” he said. “And also, I’m trying to reach a goal of $1,000.”
At another booth, siblings Victoria, 11, Sophia, 10, and Daniel, 8, sold handmade soaps in scents like lavender, tea tree and sandalwood, along with 3D-printed toys.
“We buy the base online, make sure it’s all-natural stuff, and then we cut it up and melt it down,” Victoria said of the soaps. “Then we add essential oils and just let them dry and then they’re done.”
The group had about a week to prepare for the event but still managed to make a variety of soaps and toys.
At the opposite end of the fair, Isabella, 15, helped her younger brother Noah, 9, run his booth, Noah’s Fresh Cold Lemonade Stand.
“We sell lemonade flavors with blueberries, strawberry, peach and lemons,” Isabella said. “We also have popping boba and some tea drinks.”
Preparing for the event meant washing and prepping lemons ahead of time, she said. The siblings also participated in last year’s fair.
They weren’t the only vendors with previous business fair experience. Vivian, 10, who runs Vivian’s Body Art and Creation, said she has done several events before, particularly in Temecula. She offered face painting and handmade finger puppets at her booth.
“I love to draw, and I love to see little kids and make people happy,” Vivian said. “So I chose to do face painting because that does both.”
Others turned their hobbies into businesses. Casey, 15, sold crocheted plushies and accessories that she makes by hand.
“It’s really fun to do,” she said. “I like selling and interacting with customers.”
She said she often follows patterns and tutorials she finds online.
“In the beginning, I found a video of a watermelon plushie, and that’s what got me into it,” she said.
Food booths were also popular at the fair. Alyssa, who runs Sweet Swirls by Alyssa, sold kettle corn and cotton candy. Using her own cotton candy machine and kettle corn maker, she preps and packages the food the night before an event.
“My favorite part is talking to all the customers,” she said.
Creative ideas were easy to find throughout the fair. Penelope, 10, who runs a booth called Sam Will Never Tell, sold mystery blind bags filled with surprise items.
“It was definitely a lot of work, but it was also really fun in the process,” Penelope said.
She said she plans to save some of the money she earns.
“I plan on saving a portion of it to keep my business going in my neighborhood,” she said. “And I plan on saving some of it to treat myself.”
13-year-old Ania ran Annie-mation Station, selling her artwork. She prepared most of her paintings the week before the fair but also offered custom pieces on the spot.
“My favorite part about running my own booth is I could do what I want, instead of someone telling me what to do,” she said.
Another booth offered a DIY station where customers could decorate pens, keychains and badge holders with charms. The booth, called Candy Crown Bead Creations, was run by Mia, 10, and Madeline, 11. The idea came after they saw a similar station at another festival.
“We thought, you know what, we can sell it right at our street and try to make some money,” Madeline said.
Asked about their favorite part of the fair, they said, “Just that we got the opportunity to do it. And seeing everyone’s stations.”
While some kids said they planned to save the money they earned, others said they would reinvest it into supplies for their businesses. But for many of them, the best part of the fair was simply running their own booth and meeting customers.
