Changes ahead for farmers market in Sugar Grove

Sugar Grove is looking to bring the French Market to town, in place of the Sugar Grove Farmers Market.

The farmers market was sponsored by the Sugar Grove Chamber of Commerce and run by Pat Graceffa, a volunteer. Graceffa has stepped down, and the chamber is willing to promote the market if another entity will run it.

Thus, the village board Tuesday gave Graceffa and village Trustee Mari Johnson (who had also volunteered at the market) the go-ahead Tuesday to talk with Bensidoun USA about bringing one of its French Markets to town, said Village President Sean Michels.

Bensidoun, a French company, runs eight markets in the Chicago area, including open-air markets in Geneva, Wheaton, Villa Park and Lisle. It contracts with the vendors and provides the booths. The village, as licenser, would likely supply water, electricity and garbage removal. Some of the towns agree to provide employees to set up and take down the booths, but in Geneva, that is done by Bensidoun employees. The Geneva market runs on Sunday mornings from May through October, in a parking lot near its Metra station downtown. The Sugar Grove market was held most recently on Saturday mornings in the village hall parking lot. It started in 2004.

“I think it could do well,” Michels said of the French Market.