December 20, 2015 - Pike Place Holiday

On the final Sunday before Christmas downtown Seattle was busy with holiday shoppers.  With the shops at Pike Place Market closed up for the evening, the lack of the usual hustle and bustle of crowds made for a peaceful viewing of the festive lights.  High above the market in lights, on a construction crane being used in the expansion of the market, a red nosed version of Rachel the Pig, the mascot of market, oversees it all.

December 5, 2012 - Christmas at Pike Place Market

Pike Place Market at Christmas time.

December 5, 2012 - Pike Place Porker

Pike Place Market's iconic piggy bank, Rachel, maintains a lonely, but colorful vigil after hours in the glow of the market's Christmas tree.  The 550 pound bronze sculpture by Georgia Gerber, named after its model, an Island County Fair award winning porker, has brought in over $200,000 in donations since she was installed in 1986.  The donations go to help the Market Foundation fund social services - low-income housing and social services - in downtown Seattle.  Over 10 million visitors come to Pike Place Market each year and a fair share of them take the opportunity to swarm Rachel for a photo op.

December 22, 2010 - A Market Christmas

Pike Place Market is decorated for the holidays! In addition to the fruit and vegetables lights, dozens of decorated and lit Christmas trees adorn the tops of the covered sidewalks with a larger tree standing near the entrance. There is even a set of "rein-pigs", out of sight in these pictures, on the roof waiting to pull Santa's sleigh.