Children are getting the chance to set up tables and show off their entrepreneurial skills this winter during the Ridgewood Kids Market.
The Ridgewood Kids Market was set up by Ridgewood Kids, an organization where parents can get together and share information about events happening throughout Ridgewood, as a way to introduce young children to selling their goods in a marketplace atmosphere.
“We provide an opportunity for creative kids to learn early entrepreneur skills as well as participate as vendors by selling uniquely handmade products in the market,” said Colleen Parker-Leon, founder of Ridgewood Kids. “We also provide a space for local kid-friendly business owners to sell their products.”
Parents are encouraged to register for a table at the market and allow their children to sell their handmade products to the many visitors of the market.
Children are not the only ones invited to participate in the market. Kid-friendly vendors and food vendors may also sell their wares at the market.
The first Ridgewood Kids Market took place on Dec. 6, 2015, and was a huge success, according to Parker-Leon, with more than 30 kid-friendly vendors and more than 300 customers who visited the market.
Parker-Leon created Ridgewood Kids in April 2015 and has seen exponential growth on the group’s website and Facebook page.
“As a mother of two highly energetic boys, I was always looking for fun local places to take them that didn’t include a 40-minute trip to the city. I started searching the newspapers, magazines, and researching the Internet for local kid activities,” Parker-Leon said. “I discovered there were a lot of kid-friendly events taking places at the malls, museums, Myrtle Avenue, and even banks right here in Ridgewood and nearby areas. Unfortunately, these events were not being well advertised. A lot of my other friends who were also mothers did not know about the events. In the interest of other parents, I created Ridgewood Kids to share the information I was finding with other parents.”
This year’s market will be on Feb. 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ridgewood YMCA, located at 69-02 64th St.
A vendor table costs $35. Registering for a vendor table after Feb. 10 will cost $45 per table.
For more information about the Ridgewood Kids Market, visit Ridgewoodkids.com or send an email to colleen@ridgewoodkids.com.
