Westfield French Market continues to grow, adding new vendors

The Westfield French Market is off to a rewarding start as the European-style, Bensidoun USA backed outdoor market adds new vendors and welcomes area patrons as they flock to enjoy the market’s offerings. 

Added to the growing list of vendors including B True Bakery, Hahn Bakery, KAP Farm, Organo Gold Coffee, The Blue Olive, Fraternite and Notre Dame. Also joining the line-up are Provence Imports, featuring table linens direct from Provence; Twin Garden Farms, bringing to the market their Mirai Corn, and The Bakeman which will offer gluten free products, most notably the Zen Brownie. 

To make the trip to the market easier for shoppers, Westfield has recently added ‘dots’ to all the Maps and Directories around the shopping center to guide guests to the French Market area.  A-frame signs also have been placed at five of the major entrances to help navigate eager market shoppers through the center.

The Westfield French Market is open every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. through September and is located near Macy’s by the Koi Pond. It offers a variety of local artisan products including fresh produce, breads and cheeses and gifts for the home and family. For more information, call 847-673-6800.

Xtreme Bugs on display at Westfield Old Orchard

No need to be afraid of these creepy crawlers!  From July 24 to August 14, shoppers at Westfield Old Orchard (Skokie Boulevard & Old Orchard Road) can experience the invasion of Xtreme Bugs at the gigantic, state-of-the-art animatronic bug on display near Nordstrom.   If you can’t get enough, Westfield will be offering two free admission passes to Brookfield Zoo, including two passes to see the Xtreme Bugs exhibit, to all shoppers who spend $200 or more on their shopping trip.

Bring the family back to Westfield’s Xtreme Bugs exhibit from noon to 2 p.m. August 4 for some hands-on fun, where kids will enjoy making crafts and receive giveaways by the Brookfield Zoo.

For more information on the Xtreme Bugs Brookfield Zoo giveaway, contact the Westfield Old Orchard Concierge at 847-673-6800.

The North Shore Festival of Art returns to Westfield Old Orchard July 27

The fifth annual North Shore Festival of Art presented by Amdur Productions will once again return to Westfield Old Orchard.  July 27-29 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., North Shore and other Chicagoland residents can come and enjoy the weekend long festival celebrating more than 150 of the country’s finest artists.  Their one of a kind works will be featured throughout Westfield’s inner court of the shopping center and will showcase works constructed from an array of mediums that include ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media, paintings, drawings, photography, printmaking, wood and furniture. The open-air exhibition will span throughout the center.

 Additional fun and prizes will complement the art festival as live music will be featured with performances from celebrated bands and musicians.  Children will enjoy a train, crafting projects and more.  To top things off, daily drawings will take place giving festival-goers the chance to receive “Art Buck$” to spend on a piece of art at any future 2012 Amdur Productions festival. 

Admission and parking for the North Shore Festival of Art is complimentary.

Bensidoun USA Opens Outdoor French Market at Prudential Plaza

The French market concept that embodies the notion of buying local and fresh has made its way to the Shops at Prudential Center (130 E. Randolph Dr.). This Wednesday marked a successful opening day with a healthy turnout of area shoppers. Managed by Bensidoun USA, this is their second installation of the outdoor market in Chicago. Their first Chicago open-air market is located at the Nettelhorst School campus in the Lakeview neighborhood.

The European style market is now open every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until September 26 — offering community members an unique opportunity to shop from local produce, artisan crafts and more provincial goods. 

Public markets have been a long-standing tradition in Europe — a place where people would gather daily to choose from the best merchandise their geographic region had to offer. The model is now coupled with sustainability as citizens aim to be more responsible consumers.  Bensidoun USA operates a variety of markets each catered to their specific communities.

“What really makes our French Markets unique is the support of the local communities where we operate,” said Sebastien Bensidoun, executive vice-president of Bensidoun USA. “Over the years, we’ve seen businesses grow and flourish in an often challenging economy. The Bensidoun family is truly devoted to supporting local small businesses and creating meaningful relationships within the communities it serves. Many of our vendor and customer relationships go back 15 years to the very beginning of our US efforts.” 

In 1953, Rolland Bensidoun, like his father and grandfather before him, began managing open-air markets in France. For nearly 60 years, Rolland Bensidoun expanded his operations, introducing his sons, Pascal and Sebastien to the family-run and operated business. Today, The Bensidoun Family manage 32 markets in the City of Paris including six indoor markets, the Famous Antique market of Porte de Vanves and the world famous certified organic market "Marche Raspail", as well as in New York, Michigan and the Chicagoland area. For more information, please visit http://www.bensidounusa.com.