Celebrate Young Entrepreneurs at the Great Startup Bakeoff Holiday Market
River City Kitchen presents the 3rd Great Startup Bakeoff Holiday Market, a
weekend of innovation and culinary creativity from December 5-7, 2025. This event empowers
young entrepreneurs, ages 14-24, to develop business skills through baking and selling their
creations. The event is sponsored by BakeMark, River Park Square, Spokane Public Library,
StartUp Spokane, NewTech Prep, and Forty Acres Printing.
“River Park Square is thrilled to host the Great Startup Bakeoff Holiday Market and celebrate
Spokane’s next generation of entrepreneurs. This event perfectly captures the spirit of creativity
and community we value – where young talent, local collaboration, and a dash of holiday magic
all mix together,” says Rita Koefod, Senior Director of Marketing, River Park Square.
Fifty participants will form ten teams, plan their products, and market their baked goods. Their
creations will be sold at the Holiday Market on Sunday, December 7, from 12-3pm at the Food
Court located on the 3rd floor of River Park Square, accompanied by live holiday music from the
Spokane Falls Community College Music Department.
“The whole point of the event is to give students just a taste of what it’s like to run a small
business. They all start off with the same budget and decide what they are baking, how they are
packaging it, and what they are selling it for, just like the rest of us,” said Clay Cerna, River City
Kitchen Owner and Bakeoff founder. “After that, it’s up to the public to decide what sells and
what doesn’t.”
Inspired by Spark’s Weekend, the Great Startup Bakeoff challenges teams to create a product
with only five ingredients, guided by industry experts. The team with the highest profit at the end
of the Holiday Market wins golden aprons, and all participants keep their earnings as a reward
for their efforts.
The Great Startup Bakeoff provides a real-world, hands-on business experience in a festive
market atmosphere. Bakers ages 14-24 can register at www.greatstartupbakeoff.com.
Holiday Music will be performed by Spokane Falls Community College Music Department.
