Bensidoun USA’s French Market will be set up outside the Pump House in downtown West Dundee. The new weekly event will be held Fridays between May 23 and Aug. 22. | Mike Danahey/The Courier-News
By Mike Danahey | The Courier-Review
Oh là là! Mesdames et messieurs, a French Market is coming to West Dundee.
The weekly summer event, which won the backing of the West Dundee Village Board this week, will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays between May 23 and Aug. 22 near the renovated Pump House in the downtown district.
Bensidoun USA presents about a dozen such markets in the metro area every summer, including locations in downtown Chicago, Geneva, Wilmette, Wheaton, Barrington and Elmhurst.
“It’s the only market being offered in the Chicago area on Friday by Bensidoun USA,” said Maureen Himmel, a member of the village’s events committee.
Trustees Cheryl Anderley and Dan Wilbrandt formed the events committee, which also includes residents Kate Grimaldi, David Haas, Sam Rosenberg and Adriana Soleim and Community Development Director Tom Moszczynski, in April. When it sent out a community survey asking residents what they would like to see in town, the top request was a farmers market, which was cited by 78% of respondents.
From there, Himmel reached out to Bensidoun USA.
Visitors peruse the booths available at the French Market in Wilmette on Oct. 29, 2022. A similar Bensidoun USA market will be opening in West Dundee in May. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press
“Bensidoun French Market has 60 years of experience in the Chicago and New York metro areas. Their professionalism and market offering is unmatched,” Haas said.
Bensidoun will manage the market and earn fees from the vendors, whom they procure. The only thing the village needs to provide — pavement anchors for booths — are already in place, Haas and Soleim noted.
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