1907
The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants, and remains one of Seattle's most popular tourist destinations.
THE PIG
Pike Place Market's unofficial mascot, Rachel, a bronze cast piggy bank that weighs 550 pounds (250 kg), has been located since 1986 at the corner of Pike Place under the "Public Market Center" sign. Rachel was designed by local artist Georgia Gerber and modeled after a pig (also named Rachel) that lived on Whidbey Island and was the 1977 Island County prize-winner.
FISH MARKET
One of the Market's major attractions is Pike Place Fish Market, where employees throw three-foot salmon and other fish to each other rather than passing them by hand. When a customer orders a fish, an employee at the Fish Market's ice-covered fish table picks up the fish and hurls it over the countertop, where another employee catches it and preps it for sale.
STARBUCKS
The first Starbucks Coffee store, founded in 1971, was originally located at 2000 Western Avenue. In 1977 it moved one block away to 1912 Pike Place where it has been in continuous operation ever since. . The sign outside this branch features the original logo - a bare-breasted siren that was modeled after a 15th-century Norse woodcut.
GUM WALL
The Gum Wall is a brick alleyway wall now covered in used chewing gum, 15 feet high for 50 feet. The tradition began around 1993 when patrons of Unexpected Productions' Seattle Theatresports stuck gum to the wall and placed coins in the gum blobs. Theater workers scraped the gum away twice, but eventually gave up after market officials deemed the gum wall a tourist attraction around 1999.
CRAFT VENDORS
The Pike Place Market crafts market began more than 40 years ago and now represents 225 local and regional craftspeople. Located in the North Arcade, the daily crafts market provides the opportunity to discover unique, local and handcrafted items and is one of the largest and most diverse in the U.S, such as one-of-a-kind pottery, glass and metal sculpture, painting, jewelry and leather goods.