NICOLE LESSIN
Last Saturday, about a hundred people showed up for a pop-up market on the lawn of Old Taylor High, to buy fresh eggs, spray-paint art, gourmet dog treats, handmade earrings and much more.
While the offerings may sound fairly standard, most of the entrepreneurs who created, procured and sold the wares haven’t even finished elementary school yet.
“It was really fun,” said Olin Petke Jr., age
Families peruse the kid-created items at the fair last Saturday.
9, who sold dog treats and other accessories at the fair, along with about 15 other kids. “I actually got to spend some of my money but saved most of it. (And) I made some new friends during the event.”
Young Olin is from an Old Taylor High family. He is the son of Big O’s Classic Candy and Ice Cream owner Olin Petke Sr. and Jacqueline Simons, owner of Class Act Salon.
“I make my dog treats with peanut butter, special peanut butter, that doesn’t hurt dogs,” said the fourthgrader who has named his business “Little O’s Puppy Treats and Accessories.” “Oh yeah, I have a dog. She is a taste tester.”
The fair was the brainchild of three moms who met over coffee at Old Taylor High a few months ago, said one of the organizers, Desiree Grady.
“One of the moms, it would be Olin’s wife Jacqueline, she was talking about how one of her sons was going to start making dog treats and wanted to sell them,” Grady recalled.
One thing led to another, she said, and soon the three were imagining a market featuring entirely childcreated- and-sold goods as an opportunity for their learning and fun.
The problem was, they weren’t sure how many kids or customers would actually show up, Grady said.
“ We were like, ‘ Let’s just try it but not be too loud about it, just in case it goes terribly wrong,” Grady said. “ The main worry we had was if these kids were going to be disappointed … We were telling the kids to think of it like an art show, that they were showcasing their art and showing the town.”
Despite the modest expectations, Grady said her daughter Lilian, 9, had a worthwhile experience selling resin picture frames, stained miniature easels and artwork.
“She did enjoy being around everybody, so that was a big win for her, and it did force her out of her comfort zone, which is something she is personally working on without me telling her to,” Grady said. “She had really good feedback, and her takeaway was that she wants to focus on just doing resin.”
Grady said the parents are already planning the next fair for April and are looking to partner with one or more nonprofit organizations that help children for it.
“It turned out really great, and we have a bunch of other parents that have now shown interest in wanting to continue this and to do it again,” Grady said. “It’s exciting, and now we are possibly looking at another organization who does this in Round Rock to teach us how to basically create it and do what they do, but they also offer a class to teach kids about the entrepreneur side and the business side, so they are learning instead of just selling.”
Petke Sr. also said the event was a huge hit.
“I feel like the kids had a lot of fun,” he said. “I didn’t talk to a single kid who didn’t feel rich. I don’t think a single kid left with less than $50, which is a lot of money for them.”
Courtesy photos
