New Lenox French Market Closes Early, Possibly Permanently

The New Lenox French Market has been shut down for this season and most likely permanently, premature of its scheduled Oct.10 end date.

The market suffered from declining foot traffic and lack of visibility, which market organizer Leslie Cahill of Bensidoun USA attributes to its new location at the Metra parking lot.

The market “couldn’t pull enough people to pull enough vendors to pull enough people,” said one resident, but Trustee Annette Bowden said it was not for lack of trying on the Village’s part.

The Village struggled to make it work, said Trustee Annette Bowden, who helped extensively with the market in its first years. The market is not run by the Village, she added, but by Bensidoun USA, a group that specializes in public markets. The Village did not receive a return on rental fees or sales, noting that the French Market is ”a standalone business.”

“I am very disappointed the French Market was not successful but know that the Village went above and beyond what was necessary to get it going. There were many wonderful vendors there who always spoke very highly of the residents who shopped there. It will be missed by many.”

Cahill said the Village seemed disinterested in making the market successful. 

“They weren’t able to come out and visit the market on a regular basis to see where we were at,” she said. “It’s a shame because I did have a lot of people interested in that particular location.

“We continued to decline because people could not find us.”

Residents echoed concerns about this year’s location.

“The market should not have moved to the train station,” commented another. “The biggest issue with this market is that it is not marketed as a destination.”

Some said the market needs to be held at a more convenient time in a more central location, comparing it to the market in nearby Frankfort.

“You can drive your car, ride your bike, even walk from the surrounding neighborhood to the market,” explained one commenter. “In New Lenox, it’s in the middle of a train parking lot. If you do go, you are essentially going there exclusively for the market.”

Cahill said Bensidoun’s one-year contract with the Village is up, with no plans to renew.

Bowden is “quite certain the French Market as we know it will not return.”

Bensidoun is currently working to relocate the vendors. If you’re looking for a specific one, contact 312-575-0286 or summermarkets@sbcglobal.net for more information.