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DENTON – The Caroline County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2nd Annual NextGen Vendor Market on Saturday, February 21, 2026. The market featured several organizations and small businesses operated by some of Caroline’s smallest entrepreneurs.
Tables manned by elementary, middle, and high school aged merchants were set up indoors at the Caroline County 4-H Park on Detour Road. They peddled baked goods, handmade jewelry or trinkets, home decor, and more.
Emma Hope, owner of Emma Grace Creatives, makes handmade earrings. She said she started making the earrings near the end of 2025, and the NextGen Market is her very first vendor event – the first opportunity she’s been given to sell her creations to a large audience. She chose earrings because she thought they would be “a better seller.”
Also new this go-around was Ry Neves with Ry’s Sweet Treats. Cake pops, chocolate covered oreos, cookies, drizzled popcorn, and more covered her table. Though Neves started baking in March of last year, she said she was initially nervous about attending her first vendor market. “I was nervous, but it’s going smoothly,” she said.
For Bailey Seigler, this wasn’t her first rodeo. Seigler attended last year with her small business Bee Clare + Co., selling fun pens, bracelets, and other accessories. This year she expanded to include some edible treats like chocolate covered marshmallows, and keychains with attachable miniature lotions. She said she enjoys creating the items she sells rather than the markets themselves, but making money to spend on “fun stuff” is a pretty sweet deal.
Included among other familiar faces was Keith Hale, instructor of Advanced Manufacturing at the Caroline Career and Technology Center. With Hale, students Cheyanne Fogle and Oksana Raimondo showed off the products that the Advanced Manufacturing majors are able to put out, like bird houses, home decor, gardening toolboxes, and more.
Other small businesses or organizations in attendance included Bravenson's Main Squeeze, Charmed by Honesty, Girl Scout Troop 434, Brown's Brownies and Buns, Elegance, Maddison's Blue Ribbon Bakes, and more. With all of these impressive young businesspeople, Caroline County is certainly in good hands!
