Student Business Fair - March 28th

Hardee County students are invited to show off their entrepreneurial side at the 8th Annual Student Business Fair on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, from 9:00 AM to Noon. Set up a booth to sell your creations, get a taste for running your own business, and have a chance to take home a cash prize!

5 cash prizes will be awarded across the following categories for each age group:
3rd - 5th grade, 6th - 8th grade, and 9th grade through age 20.

$50 BEST SALESPERSON | $50 MOST ORIGINAL PRODUCT | $50 BEST DISPLAY | $100 BEST OVERALL

 

Business Limits: 3D printed figurines and fidgets. Limited baked good items. (If your business is related to the listed please email us your business details for clarification.)

TERMS HAVE SOME CHANGES READ THROUGH

Terms
1) MERCHANDISE

a) Specifications:

• Merchandise must be family-friendly. No adult content or offensive materials are allowed.
• Vendors must submit photos of the items they will sell at their booths. Applications submitted with no photos will not be accepted until photos are received.
• Vendors may be helped by an adult when it is best for the student's safety. HOWEVER, parents and guardians are asked to be in GOOD FAITH and not take advantage of the event for their own personal business gain.
• Business must be students' responsibility/brand; it cannot promote existing small businesses run by someone else.
• Student vendors who last-minute cancelled or no-showed previous MSW events (including outside of SBF) are at risk of qualifying for future events. At best, the student will be added to a waitlist.

b) Items Sold/ Allowed:

• Priority is given to students who have sold the same product for more than one year at previous SBF events.
• Handmade Items (arts, crafts, jellies, candles, etc.)
• Homegrown Items (fruits, vegetables, plants)
• Food items cooked on-site are limited. Food must be primarily cooked by the student.
• Other creative ideas are welcome. Contact MSW and run it by us.
• MSW has the right to deny vendors based on the fact that there are too many other vendors with a similar product.
• Vendor must only sell what they listed in the description and photos in this application at the event. We will ask that additional items be removed from the event, and the student will be put on a waitlist for our following events.

2) SET UP

a) Booth:

• Vendor booth space is 10’ X 10’
• Vendors may park anywhere they feel is closest to their booth location for set-up. Vehicles must be moved to the parking lot behind the park by 8:45 am to allow for convenient parking for customers.
• Vendors are responsible for their own setup. MSW does not provide tables, tents, chairs, etc.
• Vendors MUST have adult supervision at all times.

b) Time:

• Event is from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Setup is 7:30 AM – 8:45 AM (vendors MUST be set up by this time)
• Vendors may begin packing up prior to the end of an event, but must not fully take down their booths until 12:00 PM unless otherwise authorized by MSW staff or volunteers. (even if vendors have sold out of their product) Doing so forfeits your ability to participate in future events.

3) MANAGEMENT

• Has the right to audit booth merchandise and may check booths for new or inappropriate items
• Reserves the right to ask Vendors to remove items or not to return to future MSW events.
• Has the right to deny any food, product, or booth request.
• Does not allow smoking or pets other than Service Pets within the Vendor booth. 

4) VENDORS

• Vendor Fee is $5. (to not turn anyone away, the fee may be waived under certain circumstances)
• Vendor spaces are limited to 30.
• The required vendor range starts at 3rd grade and ends at 20 years of age. 
• There will be three judging and awards categories for the four possible cash prizes. Categories are: 3rd to 5th grade, 6th to 8th grade, and 9th to age 20.