On June 8th, Huntington Manor in Cornelia, Georgia, hosted a children’s business fair called Junior Entrepreneur’s Day. It was organized by the Huntington Manor HOA, marketed by Diane Cox, and assisted by Tommy Welborn, this event showcased the entrepreneurial spirit of local children.
The Vendors
The grass still held dew as my husband and I set forth to visit the Junior Entrepreneur’s Fair. The sky gleamed a robin egg blue, the clouds above were white cotton balls, and a warm breeze told me that today was a quintessential early summer morning. As we walked, he remarked on my questionable decision to bring my own Crystal Light lemonade to a children’s fair, and I momentarily considered returning it to the house, but the hill was pretty steep, so I quickly chugged the drink—much to the outrage of my burning esophagus.
We turned the corner and reached the greenspace, where vibrant tents of cherry red, white, and blue greeted us. I quickly realized we had underestimated the originality of the children of Huntington Manor. Among the vendors were jewelers, snow cone chefs, walletsmiths, bakers, and fashion designers, each selling artisan goods and providing top-grade customer service to the people of Cornelia. I need not have abused my esophagus at all.
Our first stop was Gabby’s Bakery, a dessert company offering milk-based confections. My husband, a Cuban-American, was especially taken by this as he loves delicacies like Flan and Tres Leches cake. He proclaimed his cake one of the best he had tasted—with real sincerity. Gabby pays close attention to the presentation of her baked goods, packaging them in professional containers with sticker logos. She also has a lovely smile, the full package. Seriously, follow her on Instagram, this girl is a STAR.
Next, we visited Falynn’s Shop, a plucky local fashion designer and jewelry maker whose designs grow prettier each year. This year, she has branched out, becoming a full-service boutique offering homemade dog biscuits (tested and approved by her own sweet pets Hershel and Walker). In addition, she sells tie-dyed T-shirts, carefully crafted with several hours of work and research to bring the people of Habersham her best product. When asked what Falynn loves about crafting, she said, “I like to be creative. It’s fun.”
At Maizee’s Beaded Wonders and Wallets by Declan, we were greeted by three smiling faces, one of them their mascot, a handsome dog that knows how to move product. At Maizee’s Beaded Wonder’s you can purchase custom-made themed bracelets, each resting on an emerald green mat, the best background for showcasing jewelry. Her brother Declan forges custom duct-tape wallets and serves as the community walletsmith. When asked what he likes about crafting, he states, “It relaxes me and calms me down when I’m angry. It’s also fun to do when I’m bored.” I remarked that a lot of adults could learn from Declan’s example.
The line for the snow cone vendors was long and our hands laden, but we observed that both tents provided high-quality snow cone desserts perfect for an increasingly warm afternoon—a clever idea for a Georgia summer.
Conclusion
All in all, it was a successful event bursting with energy, synergy, and winner-gy.
