P

ike Place Market has been one of Seattle’s most iconic sites for over a century. Considered by many as the soul of Seattle, the market spans nine blocks in the historic centre, where residents and tourists alike come to shop, eat and walk. Just like the legendary Needle Tower, it is one of the city’s most popular tourist spots.

Pike Place Market is one of the oldest and largest continuously operating public markets in the US. It was founded in 1907 to allow farmers to sell their products directly to private customers in order to lower the prices (which were exorbitant at the time) of foodstuffs. These days, hundreds of producers, crafters and small businesses still come to sell their produce on a daily basis:

Located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market since 1930, Pike Place Fish Market remains particularly popular with the local population when it comes to shopping for fresh, wild Pacific fish and seafood.

Near the seafront, Pike Place Market attracts tourists and locals alike who come for a bite to eat with a sea view… often a rainy one in this wet region of the western United States.

Even here at the market, Seattle’s rock heritage, which includes icons like Jimmy Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, is never far:

While Seattle may regularly pay tribute to its music icons, the reverse is also true. Here you can see Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and singer Brandi Carlile, born in Seattle, improvising a surprise concert in front of the entrance to Pike Place Market:

Let it be (The Beatles)  © Chrissy

Times like these (Foo Fighters) © Leo Bard Music TV