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RockingFest featured 68 vendors this year, three of which were a little younger than the rest. Kendall “Winnie” Williams, Kaylyn Stewart, and Addie Moultry were selected as RockingFest’s Young Entrepreneurs. The three girls are all under 10.

A flier went out on the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce (GVACC) Facebook page in August calling for creators, under the age of 16, to apply for the RockingFest Youth Entrepreneur Market. Director Carrie Wood had remembered seeing Williams selling lemonade at a LaFayette Main Street event and reached out directly to her mother, Alesha Presley.

Williams started Winnie’s Lemmies, a lemonade stand when she was six, during an event for Krave Korner. The restaurant is owned by Williams’ grandmother, and the booking is handled by Presley. Presley recounts her daughter wanting to participate in the event and “sell something too.” The lemonade stand was born.

At RockingFest, Williams sold out of the original and Green Machine lemonade, her best-sellers. She also carries strawberry and grape flavors. Presley said people have been reaching out to Winnie’s Lemmie’s Facebook page to place orders for the business’s new $8 one-gallon jugs

Dirt & Diamonds sell handmade jewelry, including bracelets and earring sets, and other crafts made by Stewart, and occasionally with help from her mom, Jessica Austin. The idea started while at a friend’s house. Stewart said she had all of these bracelet materials and her passion for making other crafts followed soon after. The name Dirt & Diamonds comes from another one of Stewart’s pastimes — softball. The logo for the business was created by family friend Brittany Andrews of Homegrown Designs.

Dirt & Diamonds by Kaylyn was started by Stewart in the summer. Stewart said her favorite part of RockingFest was helping her customers pick out what they wanted at the booth. Because Stewart’s merchandise is handmade, her and her mom have started selling gift cards so customers can personalize their gift. 

Moultry is the owner of Addie’s Crazy Cones, and recently bought a small trailer she operates out of, as well as renting out for parties and events. The nine-year-old was the winner of the Auburn Ideas Jam business pitch competition, where she received $1,000 in funding for her enterprise. Her snow cone-making started while at a camp with her grandmother. The money raised from selling was for mission work.  

Like Williams, entrepreneurship runs in the Moultry’s family. Her parents, Jessie and Chad, own the Rollin’ Rackz Bar-Be-Que food truck. At RockingFest, the fourth-grader sold her usual snow cones, as well as freeze-dried candy and cupcakes out of her mini-trailer. The trailer, which Moultry is making payments on herself, made its debut at the event. Her parents’ food truck was also there.  

The girls have become friends through their events. All said their booths were successful at RockingFest. The trio has events in the future for those who missed the event. Winnie’s Lemmie’s will be in front of Krave Korner this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT, as well as the Beulah Elementary School Christmas Event on Dec. 20. The Dirt & Diamonds by Kaylyn Facebook page is very active and has attracted customers from across the country. Moultry is renting out her trailer for events.