Midwest French Markets

This market has a variety of things! From fresh veggies, fresh fruit, fresh crepes, fresh coffee, fresh smiles! Just a lovely place to be on a Saturday morning. Plenty of seating and people are so pleasant.

The local farmer’s market is my go to place for my local honey. This farmers market is really great, however, it can be difficult to navigate with the crowds while finding a place to park. For parking and convenience I usually opt for parking in the parking garage just south of the train tracks. While at the market the are two main aisles that have vendors of all kinds. You can find anything from tea, to homemade dog treats, to flowers for your garden, there are even a couple of food truck/​vendors. And if you are fortunate to walk the aisles during the month of May, the fragrance from the lilac bushes located between the farmers market and the train tracks waft thought the aisles, it’s truly a great experience.

Came here for my first time today as it was beautiful a outside and wanted to check out the local fare.
Tasted some locally produced honey, breads and kettle corn.
They had pretty broad selection of clothes, crafts and foods available from different local vendors.
Found some fresh model mushrooms available that had been picked in Wisconsin and considering I didn’t find any this year, 10 bucks for a seasonal delicacy wasn’t a bad deal!

This is definitely not your ordinary «Farmers Market» Sure there’s a great selection of fresh produce, beautiful flowers and tasty baked goods, but we can’t overlook all the hand crafted and specialty products offered every week by local vendors. We find ourselves picking up the fresh breads, cheeses, hand crafted jewelry (love the Karma Cords and Chicatolia products). In fact, we discovered a cleaning product for our granite (Supreme Surface) that we absolutely love… This market is the bomb!!! However, if it were my market I would call it something other than «French» because to me it’s all American at its finest!

I purposely wear a scarf whenever i come here to get the true FRENCH market experience. Just kidding. (No I’m not). Oh, that, and pretty much dodging all the bees flying around all the vendors with sweets and produce.
This is one of the best markets in the Illinois suburbs. 4 rows of local arts and crafts and also baked goods and produce. Love the fall season especially because of the squashes. My favorite so far are acorn and butternut. It’s decently priced… you may find it to be cheaper at the grocery but hey, its a french market. My Saturday mornings have been spent here for the past 2 weeks.
My advice: stop by the vendors with the baked goodies. Best find so far among the bakery vendors was a loaf of Chocolate chip pumpkin bread. Pair that with a hot mug of apple cider and you’re seriously on cloud 9.
Oh and yes, they have a crepes station!

A wonderful and pretty large farmer’s market. Great choice of local and seasonal veggies, fruits, cheese, pastries, breads, coffee, tea, crepes, jams, jellies, mustards, jewelry, accessories, etc. There was even a little live music. The only downfall was that there was only 1 booth containing any meat or eggs, and by 10:30am the eggs were sold out.

This French Market is everything a French Market should be, so it’s very crowded! Here you’ll find fresh crepes, beautiful flowers, fruit and vegetables, handcrafted soaps, jewelry, knick knacks, it has it all.
There’s 4 aisles of local fare and most of the vendors are friendly, save the jewelry lady who was extra snarky. My top pic for jewelry here is Adorn512. Such a delicate and unique but trendy selection.
About the crowds though. I’d recommend either coming early to avoid them and have first pick of the best produce.

I finally made it to the French Market in Wheaton! I really enjoyed spending a couple of hours perusing the stuff for sale. It was very crowded and there were a ton of vendors. I’m glad they don’t call it a farmer’s market, because I feel like there’s more other stuff for sale than veggies, but the few veggie vendors had a huge selection of delicious looking stuff. I knocked off a star because I do think it was fairly overpriced. For example, I bought some bread for $ 8.50, which looked delicious, but was a little underwhelming for that price. All in all, I’d still recommend it as a fun thing to do with lots of treasures to be found!

Wonderful market. Great variety of baked items, fruits, veggies, meats, jewelry and wares. Something for everyone. Anytime I go I bring along a friend or guest from out of town. Never fails, they will find something I’ve never given a second thought about and before I know it, I want one too! I usually bring only cash so I don’t get carried away!

I love spending my Saturday mornings walking around Farmer’s Markets. I’ve been to the Wheaton French Market three times already since moving to Wheaton.
The vendor offerings are pretty good and I always find myself leaving with at least a few goodies. You can find expect to find macarons, coffee, pastries, bread, olives, pickles, dog treats, jewelry, gluten-​free goodies and don’t forget about the fruits and veggies.
The good:
–You’re supporting small business owners and farmers
–It’s a good way to discover new products or items you haven’t tried before
–All your favorite Wheaton businesses are in one convenient location
–Lots of vendors take both cash and cards! Huge pro
The meh:
–No dogs allowed. Although my dogs aren’t well behaved enough to visit such an event, I always love meeting other dog owners and seeing the pups around.
–The space itself is incredibly narrow– which probably has a lot to do with why no dogs are allowed.
–Parking is tough unless you get here right when it starts or a little before. You might find yourself driving in circles for parking for awhile. I was here at 745 one morning and had my share of parking spots.
The bad:
–No real cons that would keep me from coming
I’ll continue coming to The French Market as long as the weather and my work schedule allows. It’s a great way to spend a relaxing Saturday morning.

The Wheaton French Market is such a delightful farmers market to attend. The local’s bring in their wonderful goods, such as freshly baked goods to hand crafted adorable jewelry to beautiful outdoor flower pots/​baskets and they offer fresh cut flowers as well (a must buy in my opinion). I have been going to this farmers market for 15 years. The fresh flowers I buy here last a full week and look gorgeous. The market has a very nice vibe to it. Yes, they do get crowded so ladies you may want to consider carrying a crossover purse so your hand held one is not knocking into people. So head on out on a Saturday morning and treat yourself and family & friends.

The place isn’t big, and we were hoping for more organic produce, but it was still a fun place to spend an hour with hubby & 2yrs old. Will def. be back!

Winter market was a bit depressing, and I’d like to go back to the summer market to give it another try with better hopes. However, mid-​January, there were no good produce pickings, and only limited vendors. After driving to see what the legendary French Market had to offer, I was disappointed to only see five booths in a cramped station space. Again, I’d like to give the summer market a try; but a disappointing initial exposure.

Cool concept, very poor experience though. As others have stated this market has wonderful variety. Tons of vendors and many types of goodies to buy.
But…get ready for my rant…
People I have a dog that I adore and we take him lots of place with us but I make sure it’s an appropriate place like a park. Why a bunch of you think it’s cute to bring Fido with you to an over crowded outdoor market with very cramped quarters makes no sense to me. I loved the lady with two dogs trying to navigate the super narrow aisles. Next, leave the damn stroller at home!!! If your precious child cannot walk on their own, than don’t come or leave the baby home with dad or mom. Seriously! One woman had a double-​wide stroller AND a dog and was sipping on her Starbucks oblivious to the traffic jam she was causing.
Sorry Wheaton, other burbs and Chicago neighborhoods have got the Farmers Market thing down. Yours needs some help. Hint, move it to an area that is not so crowded.
We won’t be back.

Hmmmm… Parking is rough, the crowds are absurd, and I can’t say the selection is any more amazing than I can get in Naperville. I’m glad I went but I don’t think I’ll go back anytime soon.

I would consider myself a farmer’s market junkie. Today we missed Naperville’s due to yoga so we ventured out to Wheaton which is open till 2pm. Long and short of it: we won’t be back.
1: the aisles. Everyone has done a great job punting out they are too narrow. It’s horrid! We aren’t in Paris! Spread it out a little more.
2: the non-​food vendors: while I understand this is a French Market, the numerous vendors peddling various other goods just cramps up the area. We only came for food!
3: the «grocery» produce: perhaps my biggest irk. We go to farmers markets to buy local, supporting the local farmers, to eat in the season and get the freshest, whole foods we can. How in the world are tomatoes from Arizona (as it said on the box) fit in that? Some purveyors had so any different varieties of produce that it was obvious that they are not growing them but purchasing them at wholesale and turning a profit on people none the wiser. Talk to the vendors people! I found a certified organic farm from Michigan that was able to fulfill my need for cucumbers, tomatoes and kale but some of you may of bought the same stuff being sold at Mariano’s down the street!
A few reviewers said that the food was more expensive than the grocery store. It can be. But we pay more to support the local farmers and sometimes it’s a better deal than the chemically enhanced, grown in a lab, cross bred stuff found at the grocery store. You pay a premium to eat good the way it looks grown from a seed with little to no human intervention!
In the end we won’t come back. There are so many farmers markets now and this one for the reasons above is just not worth the time.

Great variety with very good prices for the most part.
My big knock on it is how closely they have the tents facing each other. The walking aisle is way too narrow to get through easily.

Indulge much? I had such a great time choosing my indulgences at this market! And most were within reason. It was a win-​win!
We went earlier in the day to avoid the crowds that gather here in downtown Wheaton. But by the time we left, it was getting crowded and the strollers had made their way to the aisles. So yes, come early.
I started making purchases almost immediately. I think that may have been a mistake. Similar vendors had similar products at a lower cost as I moved up and down the aisles. If you have the time, I would encourage you to look at everything and then make your decisions. But if there’s a limited supply of things — get it while the getting is good!
Let’s talk about some of my favorites…
We tried some honey. It was marvelous! Different honey combos jarred up and ready to go. They even had mini jars available so you could take home a variety. I loved that I could taste the options before I purchased. Thank you, Bron’s Bee Honey!
St. Roger Abbey was there complete with nuns and baked goods. Another win when we ate that chocolate tartlet.
Denny’s Acres supplied me with Yukon gold potatoes that I split over two dinners and some gorgeous baby asparagus. They had a nice variety of produce to offer and I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase from this local vendor again!
I tried tea from two different vendors. Both were good, but I preferred The Tea House. The gentleman working that booth really knew his stuff and I was sold on the Tea-​Vine without even tasting it. I’ve since tasted it and it’s exactly as he described. Nice!
There were at least two meat vendors, but I was wooed by Farm Fresh Foodstuffs. Yet another knowledgable man in the crowd. He had a lot to say and I ended up a big fan after a few minutes of chatting. I bought two different types of bacon. My girlfriend bought ground beef. And it looks like they may be able to help with a raw diet for a special Princess I know. :-)
Hahn’s Bakery from Geneva was here. I am already a day of Hahn’s, so I was on the hunt for a kitchen sink cookie, but alas they did not bring those for the day. Although, I did hear they were asked by multiple people, so it may make its way into their French Market inventory in the future. You never know… What they did provide were fresh baked pretzel rolls and still warm donuts. No, not warm from the sun… but warm from the onsite fryer. They’re making that magic happen on the premises. It was a perfect way to wrap up a delicious morning at the market!

I love the French market Downtown Wheaton! I must say not being from here the first time I went a few years ago I didn’t know what to expect and boy did I feel silly when I realize a French Market is a what I would call a Farmers Market!
Everything is fresh and yummy but can be a little costly especially the grapes. You can buy anything from produce to honey to kettle corn to clothes here. Kettle corn has become a must for my kids every time we go and the couple making it is so nice. It’s delicious. Also there are homemade chocolate croissant from Suzette’s which are amazing, I’m totally in love with it. Trust me and try one!
The farmers market gets pretty crowded and I found to be a little stressful navigating a stroller through for me so I try not to bring mine. Also it’s street parking but there are parking garages (for free) close by so don’t let that discourage you from stopping by!

We’ve been to the French Market a lot this summer. Our favorite time to go is around 12:30 or 1, when things are calming down and the vendors are starting to relax. It’s less crowded, with everybody acting less eager and more relaxed. Just our speed.
Iced coffee from I Have a Bean is a favorite of ours. There are usually two booths selling flowers, as well as two businesses selling kettle corn (one tent and one truck). I bought a floppy sunhat from the floppy sunhat vendor, only to have the brim fall apart a few weeks later. When I brought it back to them, they were really nice about exchanging the ruined one for a new one (the new one has held up fine, so I think the first one was a fluke).
We really enjoyed Annalee, the singer/​guitarist who performed here often earlier in the summer. Her music added to the vibe of the market. As far as upkeep, we’ve noticed the trash cans overflowing a few times, as well as the connection to the fire hydrant leaking. It would be nice if they stayed on top of that («they» haha… I don’t really know who «they» is in this case, but hopefully «they» see what I’m saying).

While there is nothing remotely French about it, this is a really neat market. My mom has been coming here for years, but this past weekend was my first experience. We bought some fantastic bread, some great produce (both fruits and veggies), and pastries that were divine. There were also jewelry stalls, soap stalls, even dog treat stalls. And food vendors ranging from crepes to Pad Thai. It’s a great place to spend an hour or more.
I do echo the frustration of those who mention how TIGHT the place is, especially with strollers (but even without). There seems to be room to expand a bit, making the aisles slightly wider… why isn’t this done? It makes the experience a bit unpleasant.

The Wheaton French Market is a good place to go if you’re looking for a variety of food, not all of it French.
I suppose the most French thing about this market is the crêpe stand; the crepes there are freshly made and taste fantastic. There’s a *lot* of bread as well, and there are some nuns sell both savory and sweet bread.
Vegetables and fruit can be hit or miss. If it’s out of season in the midwest, expect the fruit you find to be trucked up from Florida. Nothing wrong with that, and the peaches *were* good… but next time I’ll wait the extra month.
It’s conveniently located in downtown Wheaton and there’s always a bustle of activity, live music, many pounds of frozen blueberries (which we did get one year; they were very good)… in generally, this is what I would expect a farmers’ market to be.

Wow! LOVE this French Market! Plenty of goodies to look at and buy from a variety of vendors:
–several «farmer’s market» produce stands overflowing with fresh seasonal fruits & veggies
–several bakeries — both sweet & savory offerings
–homemade canned pickles, dilly beans (pickled green beans, yum!), relishes, sauces & other condiments
–a few folks selling several kinds of CHEESE!
–Many vendors of handcrafted jewelry, handbags & scarves @ affordable prices
–a couple people selling the most gorgeous (and pricey!) hanging baskets and planters (both BIG and small) of flowers and other greenery
–flowers & greens available by the stem/​stalk to make your own bouquet
–Several food, ready to eat, vendors as well including the local Pad Thai restaurant, Jolly Posh, a gourmet popcorn stand (White Cheddar & Rosemary Popcorn?!? OMG, YES!), a grilled cheese shop, and others I can’t possibly remember.
The earlier you get there the better as there is a lot to see but it’s all crammed in a very small area — and once those mommies wielding their double-​wide ankle destroyers, um, I mean, strollers, get out & about, it’s a bit cramped. I wish it was adjacent to a park so you could take a break from the crowd and sit down to enjoy your lunch, breakfast or snack you will inevitably buy while there. At least there is parking garage next door so parking is a breeze!