Vendor Packet: Lancaster Kidpreneur Day, October 10, 2026

1. The schedule

9:00 to 9:45 AM	Check in and set up. Collin and Janelle are on site from 8:30. Pull into one of the 5 reserved spaces on N. Queen St. in front of the park, unload, then move your car to street parking on Queen or the Prince Street Garage so the next family can use the space. Find your business on the map and key we emailed Friday to get your booth number; each spot is marked at the park. Call or text Collin at 610-308-3726 if you need anything that morning.
9:45 AM	Booths ready. Judges check in.
10:00 AM	Welcome from Collin and Janelle by the stage, and the fair opens to the public.
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM	Judging. Judges visit every booth. Your kid should expect a few friendly questions.
12:45 PM	Winners announced by the stage. Every participant gets a certificate.
1:00 PM	Fair closes.
1:00 to 2:00 PM	Pack up. The park has to be fully clear by 2:00 PM.

2. Our recommendation on what to bring

You will need a table and chairs, since we do not provide them, plus your product and a way to carry it in and out. A wagon or hand truck helps. Beyond that, here is what we would bring:

A canopy, if you want one. Canopies are optional. Most of Binns Park is brick, so if you bring one, weight every leg with sandbags, weight plates or filled buckets.
A tablecloth and a sign with the business name. Judges score presentation, and a good sign does a lot of work.
Small bills for change, or a way to collect payment.

3. What we provide

Your 10x10 space, marked and assigned
Event signage and layout for the fair
Judges drawn from the Lancaster business community
$75 cash and a trophy for each category winner in each age group, plus a People’s Choice Award
A certificate for every kid who takes part
Promotion to Lancaster Ledger readers before and after the event

4. Booth rules

10x10 maximum footprint.
The kid runs the booth. Parents can carry gear, stand nearby and step in for genuine problems. The customer should be talking to the kid, and judges will notice if a parent is doing the selling.
Kids keep 100% of what they earn.
Product can be made or resold. Make it, grow it, or buy it and resell it. Food and drinks need a city food permit (see section 5).
Pack out everything you bring in, including trash.
Be set up by 9:45 and stay until 1:00.

5. If you want to sell food or drink

Your kid can sell food or drinks. Anyone selling food or beverage just has to work with the Lancaster City Health Department to get the required permits.

The food must come from a licensed kitchen (nothing made or stored at home), and you need your own City of Lancaster temporary food permit in hand before the event.

Each family files its own permit. We cannot file it for you. The event does not provide a food permit for families.

Applications: Temporary Food Vendor Application (PDF) · Solicitud en español (PDF). Health questions go directly to health@cityoflancasterpa.gov or Craig Walt at 717-291-4714.

A couple of other park rules

No amplified sound. The permit does not allow it at Binns Park. No speakers, no microphones, no music.

No electricity at the booths. Power was arranged ahead of time for one booth only, and generators are not allowed.

6. How the judging works

Local business owners visit every booth between 10 AM and noon. They will ask your kid a few straightforward questions: what are you selling, how did you decide the price, what did it cost you to make, who is your customer. There are no trick questions and no formal presentation. A kid who can talk about their own business does great.

Winners are picked in two age groups (6 to 10 and 11 to 14) in three categories. Each winner gets $75 cash and a trophy:

Most Original Business Idea. Creativity and originality of the concept.
Highest Business Potential. Pricing, product, customer sense, and whether the thing could actually keep going.
Best Presentation. Booth design, signage and how the whole thing pulls you in.

People’s Choice Award. Shoppers vote for their favorite booth at thelancasterledger.com/kidpreneur-vote (the QR code is in the program). The winner gets $75 cash, Oola Bowl gift certificates and Barnstormers tickets. Share the link with your friends and family.

7. Helping your kid get ready

Help your kid set the price based on business best practices. Add up what each unit costs to make, then set a price that covers that cost and leaves a profit on every sale.
Practice the opening line. "Hi, do you want to see what I made?" beats waiting silently behind a table.
Make the sign big and readable from ten feet. Business name and prices.
Bring enough inventory that the table still looks full at noon, but not so much that packing out is a chore.
Count the starting cash together so they can work out their profit at the end.

8. Cancellation and refunds

Cancellation or rescheduling is at The Lancaster Ledger's discretion. If we cancel this date, we will either set a new date or refund your space fee. If weather forces a change, we will email every registered family directly.

9. Contact

Collin · The Lancaster Ledger
collin@thelancasterledger.com · 610-308-3726
Event page: thelancasterledger.com/kidpreneur

Lancaster Kidpreneur Day is presented by Shirk Pest Solutions and supported by JK Mechanical, Hinkle Insurance Agency, fix (IT) chix and Signarama.

See you at Binns Park.