Scarborough’s biggest event of the year — Summerfest — is Friday, and for the first time, it will feature a Children’s Entrepreneur Market.

Festivities begin at 5 p.m. and include something for all ages. The town expects between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees.

“What’s not to love about being outside and getting everybody together?” said Nicole Hall, deputy director of community services.

For the kids, there will be fan-favorites like a bounce zone, pony rides and train rides. There will also be food trucks and live music: the Maine POPS Concert Band will perform from 6 to 7 p.m. and Slane, a U2 cover band, will perform from 7 to 9 p.m.

Fireworks, beginning at 9:15 p.m., will close the night.

New at the festival this year, kids ages 5 to 17 will run their own booths and sell their wares. They will be involved in all steps: coming up with the concept, choosing the pricing, creating the products, engaging with the customers and conducting the transactions.

Kids will be selling a range of items, including gluten-free baked goods, homemade jewelry, dollhouse items, keychains, lemonade and art prints.

Rachael Giallongo, Portland market manager for Children’s Entrepreneur Market, said that for 80% of the young entrepreneurs, it will be their first time participating in a market. Throughout the summer, there are 12 markets in the state, with four following Summerfest.

“It’s pretty amazing to watch these kids grow and see their parents watching them,” Giallongo said. “Many parents have said to me that their kids are on the shy side or don’t like to interact with strangers, and then they’ll see them come out of their shells and talk about the product that they’re passionate about.”

Audrey Walsh is one such parent. Her two sons, Carter and Gunner, will participate in their seventh market this weekend. They sell wooden birdhouses and tie-dye shirts, and they sold nine birdhouses at their first market.

“They like the income coming in,” Walsh said. “And they’re also getting socialization because they’re homeschooled.”

Parents are required to be on site, but they are asked to take a back-seat role, letting their children answer all the questions and complete all the transactions.

In the inaugural year of the program at Summerfest, there will be 55 booths, though more kids wanted to join.

“I’m fielding emails every day asking if there’s a way we can open more space,” Giallongo said. Due to capacity limitations, there is no wait list.

Maddie Berry, 14, will be manning one of the booths at the market.

She started crocheting last year after receiving a kit for Christmas. Now, she’s started her own business, selling crochet plushies and keychains at craft markets. Summerfest will be her eighth market, and she’s hooked on entrepreneurship. She plans to open her own online store through Etsy to sell her crochet patterns.

For the past few weeks, Berry has been working to restock her products for Summerfest, spending three to six hours a day crocheting. It takes her an hour to an hour and a half to make her bestselling round cats.

“It’s an event for the whole community,” Hall said. “Kiddos are definitely a part of that, but historically, not in the aspect of vendors. They’re typically with their families enjoying the games, so this is kind of a different twist on it.”

Attendees are encouraged to park either at the Wentworth School or at Scarborough High School. The parking lot right around the sports field is used by vendors or for handicap parking.

Hall also said that because of the renovations to the running track, people will not be able to watch the fireworks from the bleachers as they have in years past. She said that there will be plenty of staff members there on the day of the event to make sure people are staying off the field.

People should also leave their pets at home. “I certainly love seeing them, but for everybody’s safety, we ask that they remain at home,” she said.