Start Something Studio AND Zen Loft Collecting are Joining Forces and Hosting a Two-Location Young Entrepreneurs Holiday Market!

We’re giving young business owners a real market to sell in, right alongside downtown Batavia’s biggest shopping night of the season.

Date: Friday, November 13, 2026

Time: 5-7 p.m. (set-up begins at 4 p.m.)

Locations: Start Something Studio (12 South Van Buren Street in Batavia, IL) AND Zen Loft Collective (103 E Wilson St 2nd floor, Batavia, IL 60510)

Details: This market is indoors. Tables and chairs will be provided. Electricity is available if needed.

The Young Entrepreneurs Holiday Market is happening during Downtown Batavia’s Lantern Walk, an evening built around shopping local. Businesses all over downtown will be running sales and specials, and a trolley will be running to take shoppers from spot to spot. It’s going to be a great night to be downtown, and we want our young entrepreneurs to be part of it.

Who can apply

This market is designed for kids between the ages of 7-14 who have a product they’re ready to sell. We’re looking for approximately 25-30 young vendors, and to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at sales, we’re capping it at no more than 2 vendors selling the same type of product.

How it works

Applications are open now through September 30. We’ll review every application and let selected vendors know if they’ve been accepted on Friday, October 16. We’ll assign all accepted vendors a space inside Start Something Studio or Zen Loft Collective.

Accepted vendors pay a $15 participation fee.

More than just a market

Every young vendor who participates will get access to short videos from real local business leaders covering three things every entrepreneur needs to know: pricing, customer service, and marketing.

We want this to be an awesome market, and a little bit of a business education, too.