Seven-year-old Kali Jo Burnett sold lemonade and jars of flowers in May as a vendor at the first-ever Entrepreneur Day 4 Kids event held in the Heritage at New Riverside community in Bluffton. A second pop-up children’s market is scheduled for Sept. 10 at Martin Family Park, also in Bluffton.

A pop-up-style market planned for Sept. 10 in Old Town Bluffton gives new meaning to the term “small business.”

Not only are the businesses small; so are their owners. Young entrepreneurs will set up shop at Martin Family Park for Entrepreneur Day 4 Kids, where they will be selling a variety of items from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is free and open to the public.

The Christian-based Petals & Stars program is hosting the event as part of its mission to inspire people to spread hope.

Petals & Stars founder Shirl Cave said the event is an opportunity for children ages 16 and younger to earn some money, learn about money management, and to improve their people skills.

As a former business owner and the founder of a nonprofit, Cave is a great example of someone who followed her dreams and made them happen. Now she wants to encourage young people to chase their own dreams.

“If you work hard, you can reach goals that you never thought you would be able to reach,” Cave said. “If you put things in place, you can actually build upon a dream that you may have had for a long time.”

Petals & Stars held its first Entrepreneur Day 4 Kids in May in Cave’s neighborhood. About 10 children participated in the event at the community clubhouse in Heritage at New Riverside, selling snow cones, popcorn, chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers, baked goods, jewelry, books, plants, lemonade and resin art. 

Cave said the first event was a success, drawing 50 to 60 customers. She decided to expand the second event to reach more people in Bluffton and thought Martin Family Park would be a good spot. She is hoping the upcoming event will bring out even more vendors and shoppers.

So far, about 20 kid-run businesses are signed up for the event. Cave said they would love for more to sign up, and they can do so through Sept. 8. There is a vendor fee of $15 per booth, which will cover the cost of insurance required to use the park.

For more information or to reserve a space, email hope@petalsandstars.org, or visit petalsandstars.org, @petalsandstars on Facebook, and @petalsandstarsproject on Instagram.

Amy Coyne Bredeson of Bluffton is a freelance writer, a mother of two and a volunteer with the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance.