Food & Culture
Pike Place Perseverance
Despite the pandemic, Pike Place has a history of perseverance
By Rob Smith February 12, 2021
This article originally appeared in the January 2021 issue of Seattle Magazine.
This story is featured in the January issue of Seattle magazine. Subscribe here to access the print edition.
The Pike Place Market weathered an exodus of farmers due to the internment of thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II and an attempt at demolition 50 years ago, so it should come as no surprise that it is persevering during the pandemic.
The Market was empty much of last year as tourism tanked and residents socially distanced, but that did not deter merchants, who pivoted to takeout and delivery and held holiday festivities, including scavenger hunts and online chats with Santa.
All nine acres were lit up with lights and decorations; buskers played throughout the month of December; and the Market even created a shopping guide with tips on gifts, food, and specialty products so visitors could remain safe and shop efficiently.
The Pike Place Market historic district is home to some 500 merchants and, during normal times, draws more than 15 million visitors annually who help fuel the city’s broader economy.
Join The Must List
Seattle's best events delivered to your inbox
Follow Us
Fave Five: Scents, Wine, Food, Fashion
Explore all the city has to offer
1 STIR YOUR SENSES with a visit to Parfumerie Nasreen, where you’ll find a garden of carefully chosen fragrances inviting your nose to explore. Overwhelmed? Ask Nasreen to help you navigate her extensive selection. She’s a fragrance authority with a long-lived passion for helping people find their own scent or something special for that someone…
Editor’s Note: Microsoft’s Jane Broom Davidson: ‘Coolest Job Ever’
Jane Broom Davidson has built a career giving away Microsoft’s money
Investors buy Microsoft stock to make money. Jane Broom Davidson get paid to give it away. As senior director of Microsoft Philanthropies, Broom Davidson oversees investments in affordable housing, human services, education, arts and culture, and workforce development. It’s no small job. The company donated $73.9 million across Washington state last year, behind only Amazon….
The Art of Weathering Winter: What “Self-Care” Really Is (and Isn’t)
How to cultivate more community, according to author Angela Garbes & State Representative Darya Farivar
The term “self-care” has become so overused that its meaning can be bent to almost any purpose. Is it indulging in a cocktail or abstaining from booze? Is it splurging on a skincare product or making peace with fine lines? Some have begun to use the term “community care” to refer to a commitment toward…
Publisher’s Note: The True Seattle Influencers
Forget social media. These are the real heroes.
In-flu-ence /ˈinflo͝oəns/. The power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways. An emanation of spiritual or moral force. An ethereal fluid held to flow from the stars and to affect the actions of humans. With all the attention on “influencers” on social media, I think we’ve lost the true meaning of…