Voila! Wheaton French Market set to open in new downtown pavilion
In a sure sign of spring, a first-of-the-season French market opens this Saturday in Wheaton's new downtown pavilion.
Vendors will assemble under a permanent canopy structure built just south of the railroad tracks near Main Street and Liberty Drive.
Shoppers can find fresh floral bouquets, organic produce, cheeses, kettle corn and crumb cakes made by Hahn's Bakery of Geneva. French nuns from St. Roger Abbey showcase patisserie classics, fruit tarts, baguettes and - oh là là - buttery chocolate croissants.
The weekly open-air market is operated by Bensidoun USA in the style of the outdoor markets of France. It's the first Bensidoun-run market to spring to life in the suburbs. The Geneva French Market is returning Sunday, April 9.
In downtown Wheaton, the pavilion was built as one of the last showpieces in a $35 million streetscape and infrastructure project. At 28 feet high at its tallest point, the structure will create another focal point in the Main Street area and accommodate other downtown events.
The market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday through fall.