St. Mary's County Sells Young Vendors a $10 Shot at Real Business

A $10 table fee buys a child in Southern Maryland a storefront for a morning — and the region's recreation authority is capping the market at 20 sellers.

St. Mary's County Recreation & Parks will host its Young Entrepreneurs Vendor Fair on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hollywood Recreation Center in Hollywood, Maryland. Children and teenagers ages 7 to 18 can register to sell handmade products directly to customers.

The department designed the fair to give young business owners a supportive environment to promote their products, interact with customers and develop entrepreneurial skills. It's a small-market version of what adult artisans pay far more to access — booth space, foot traffic and live feedback.

What can young vendors sell?

The organizers keep the product list broad. Participants are encouraged to sell:

• Handmade crafts
• Artwork
• Baked goods
• Accessories
• Other creative products or services

That breadth matters for first-timers. A 9-year-old with a batch of cookies and a 17-year-old running a small accessories business will share the same floor.

The event explicitly welcomes both groups. Whether they already operate a small business or are exploring entrepreneurship for the first time, young vendors will set up their own tables, market their creations and experience what it takes to run a business, according to the Recreation & Parks announcement.

In plain terms: the fair is a working storefront, not a school project with ribbons.

How much does it cost and how do you register?

The numbers are straightforward:

• Cost: $10 per table
• Capacity: 20 participants
• Date: Sunday, December 6, 2026, 9 a.m. to noon
• Location: Main room of the Hollywood Recreation Center
• Registration window: Opened October 4; closes December 4, 2026, or when spaces fill

Parents and guardians can sign up online at the county's registration link, and an account is required to complete registration. With 20 tables and a two-month registration window, the county is signaling it expects demand — early sign-up is the safer bet for families.

For additional information, the Hollywood Recreation Center can be reached at 301-373-5410.

Why a kids' vendor fair matters beyond the table fee

The $10 price point is the real story here. Adult craft fairs and farmers markets routinely charge vendors multiples of that for a single day's booth, which prices out young sellers before they make their first sale.

By subsidizing access and limiting the market to ages 7 to 18, St. Mary's County Recreation & Parks is giving children something classroom curricula struggle to replicate: real customers, real transactions and real-time feedback on what sells.

The department's stated goal — a supportive environment to promote products, interact with customers and develop entrepreneurial skills — puts the emphasis on practice over profit.

What's next?

Registration runs through December 4, 2026, but the 20-table cap means the practical deadline is whenever the roster fills. Families who want a spot for a young seller should register at the county's online portal well before the cutoff — and if the December fair fills quickly, it may signal demand for a larger edition next year.