Bennington Youth Market Showcases Young Entrepreneurs, Inspires Future Business Ideas

By Marisa Dawson

A group of children and adults viewing a display of 3D printed models at an event. The booth features colorful designs and a sign reading 'Porter's 3D Prints.'

Bennington’s youngest entrepreneurs took center stage last weekend as the Bennington Chamber of Commerce hosted its inaugural Youth Market, giving local children and teens an opportunity to turn their ideas into businesses and put their entrepreneurial skills on display.

The market was originally scheduled to take place at Centennial Park, but rainy weather moved the event indoors to the gym at Bennington Elementary. The change in location did little to dampen the enthusiasm, with 40 young vendors filling the gym and a steady stream of community members coming through to support them.

For Chamber Coordinator Kelsay Brohimer, who handled much of the planning for the event, seeing the young vendors interact with customers was one of the most rewarding parts of the day.

“I think the happiness on the kids’ faces is truly my highlight,” Brohimer said. “How excited they are to be selling their product, how excited they are to see that people are interested in what they are doing, and how proud they are of themselves for doing this, because they put a lot of work into this.”

The event was designed to give young people hands-on experience with entrepreneurship, from developing a product to setting goals, interacting with customers and learning how to grow a business. That experience was already paying off for many of the vendors.

“I have met several kids who had a goal of X amount, and they have surpassed that goal already,” Brohimer said. “And the market’s not even done yet.”

Among those vendors was 12-year-old Anthony Miller (pictured below), who brought his lemonade business to the Youth Market. Miller said he began with driveway sales in town before deciding this summer to expand into larger events.

A young boy wearing a light blue t-shirt prepares a drink at a beverage station, handling a cup and pouring from a large water container.

“We decided to finally grow and buy all the flavors, all the water and ice and lemons and everything we needed and slowly invest it back into this so it can grow more and more to do these events,” Miller said.

The Youth Market represented Miller’s first major event in the metro area, after previously selling lemonade from his driveway and his grandmother’s driveway. He said the experience was an opportunity to learn skills he can carry into the future.

“It means a lot to me because I can learn entrepreneurship in my life and for future references of what to do and what I need to do to grow and that they’re letting me have the stand here,” Miller said. “Really thankful that they let me.”

Miller also offered some advice to other young people interested in starting their own businesses: “I would say keep on setting those goals, try to meet them, as many as you can, and keep on going.”

“Don’t give up,” he added. “Even when it’s hard times, slow days, you’ll always have slow days, busy days, or just okay days. But don’t give up.”

For 11-year-old Lydia Wiers (pictured below, left, with her family), the market provided a chance to turn an interest in sensory products into a business. Wiers was selling calm-down bottles, sensory bins and more, drawing inspiration from products she had encountered at craft fairs.

A woman and two girls stand behind a table filled with sensory products, including colorful containers and a sign that reads "Lydia's Sensory Shop." The background features blue walls and a gym setting.

“I’ve been to a lot of craft fairs and I’ve seen people selling these,” Wiers said. “I also bought a few and they were really fun and gave me some inspiration.”

The Youth Market was Wiers’ first time participating in a market, and she said the experience has encouraged her to continue exploring entrepreneurship.

“It makes me feel really excited to try new things and kind of like when I grow up, this is something fun I would like to do,” she said.

Wiers said her advice for other young entrepreneurs is to pay attention to what potential customers are interested in.

“If you were starting your own business, it would be a good idea to see what kids are wanting and what do kids enjoy?” she said.

Eleven-year-old Evie Andersen (pictured below, left), owner of The Peppy Penguin, was already familiar with the local market scene after participating in regular farmers markets. For her, the Youth Market offered something special: a space where young people could see others their own age pursuing their interests.

A girl hands a blue bag to a woman at a vendor's table in a gym setting, while a boy watches. A man smiles in the background, and various products are displayed on the table.

“It feels really good that I see a lot of kids who are doing what they love to do, but also getting money from it,” Andersen said.

Andersen has been developing The Peppy Penguin over the past several years, including expanding the products she offers. She said she has shifted much of her inventory toward scents and also sells locker magnets.

She also believes seeing other young people operate businesses can have a ripple effect.

“I think some of my friends thought it was really cool and started their own businesses,” Andersen said of her friends seeing what she has accomplished over the years.

Andersen said one of her favorite parts of the Youth Market was simply seeing how much work the other young vendors had put into their businesses.

“I really like how many kids have worked super hard to do this,” she said.

Another young entrepreneur, 11-year-old Gavin Kathol, was using the event to share a different kind of product: a book he wrote himself. He is pictured below, explaining the storyline of his book to an interested customer.

A young boy, Gavin, aged 11, stands at a table promoting his book at an event. He is engaged in conversation with an adult woman who is listening attentively. The table features a 'Book Bundle' sign with items for sale, including a signed copy of his book, bookmark, and stickers. There are decorations, including plants, a globe, and a black display board that highlights Gavin as an author from Bennington Local.

Kathol’s first book follows a character named George who is in the Amazon rainforest when he discovers a magical willow tree that grants him a wish. George is then sucked into a computer and must use coding to escape different programs and find his way back to his real body.

Kathol said he was excited to have the opportunity to share his work with the community.

“It makes me very happy that I get to talk to all these people,” he said. “People can experience the joy of reading. And also I just like meeting new people.”

Writing, he said, provides an outlet for creativity.

“I think it’s just a good way to express your imagination,” Kathol said. “And it’s also a way that you can make other people’s days better.”

Kathol plans to continue writing, saying he hopes to create “as many as I possibly can” books in the future.

The support extended beyond the families and customers attending the event. Chamber President Felicia Weaver pointed to the participation of local farmers market vendors as another example of the community rallying around its youngest entrepreneurs.

“One of the telltale things of having the children’s market has been our farmers market vendors,” Weaver said. “We’ve seen a lot of them come here and support our youth market, which has been amazing.”

A lively indoor event showcasing children and adults gathered around a colorful craft table with handmade items. People are engaged in conversation and browsing creative displays.

“And that piece of the puzzle just kind of puts everything together on showing the Bennington support that we have,” she added.

That community support was also reflected in the number of young people who wanted to participate. Brohimer said organizers initially hoped to have 20 vendors but ultimately filled the market with 40, while another five children were placed on a waiting list.

She said three additional parents also reached out after their children were unable to participate, asking to be notified when registration opens again.

“So I think a lot of kids are really interested in it, and that makes us really happy,” Brohimer said.

The response has already prompted plans to expand the event. Brohimer said the Chamber intends to make the Youth Market a recurring event with both a spring and fall market.

“I think we’re going to make this a biannual thing and have a spring show and a fall show,” she said. “So I think come spring, we’ll do another one- look up for signups.”

A young girl sitting at a table displaying colorful flower artwork, with baked goods and craft items in a gymnasium setting.

The Chamber may also eventually look for a larger venue if participation continues to grow. Bennington Elementary’s gym provided enough space for the inaugural group of 40 vendors, but Brohimer said adding significantly more young entrepreneurs could require a new location if weather changes take place.

“If we add more, I think we’ll have to find somewhere else to go,” she said. “Which is great. It’s a great problem to have.”

For now, the inaugural Youth Market has demonstrated both the interest among local children and the willingness of the community to support them.

From lemonade and sensory products to scents, locker magnets and a self-authored book, the vendors offered a wide variety of products, but they shared the experience of learning what it means to build something of their own.

And for Brohimer, that was ultimately what made the day so meaningful.

“Seeing all the kids, seeing what they’ve made, and seeing the community come together to really support all of our kids, I think brings a lot of happiness,” she said.