Pike Place Market honors community with Local Appreciation Day
Pike Place Market celebrates community though Local Appreciation Day
Despite soggy weather and dark skies, Pike Place Market celebrated its local customers on Saturday, a tradition that began last year.
SEATTLE - Despite soggy weather and dark skies, Pike Place Market celebrated its local customers on Saturday.
The tradition for the market's Local Appreciation Day started last year.
Around 16 million people come through the market every single year, and a good number of those people are visitors from out of state and out of the country.
Last year, the market wanted to do something to primarily celebrate the locals. It's something that they really loved last year, so they kept that tradition going this weekend.
Since 1907, Pike Place Market has offered a little something for everyone.
"There's a lot of things to do here," said Raelynn and Zoe, visiting Seattle from southern California.
"There's just - everything is so authentic," said Pujha and Madi, Seattle locals. "I feel like you find a little bit of every single culture here. It just makes you love Seattle more."
365 days a year, the iconic public market near the Seattle waterfront grants everyone a little Pacific Northwest charm. Though, Saturday, the focus is on the locals.
"One couple, Judy and her husband, they come every single Saturday to get a piece of smoked salmon and king salmon," said Mike Chambers, fishmonger at Pike Place Fish Market. "We've got so many locals that shop with us every single week and some of them have been shopping with us for decades."
"It was always a special thing to do with family since we didn't come here very often," said Pujha and Madi. "Now that we live closer and we live in the U District, it's just a great way to spend time with friends and make memories.
Memories created through a bouquet of flowers, walking over cobblestone streets in the rain, and flying fish.
"We take a lot of pride in it," Chambers said. "People are like, 'yeah, I came all the way from Australia. I've always wanted to come out and visit you guys and see you throw fish.'"
Talking about times changing, fishmongers have been throwing fish for decades. Only recently they've received a cult following online with almost half a million followers on TikTok.
"That's a really cool thing that's happened in the last three years is people will come in and say 'Hey, I've seen you on Instagram and TikTok,'" Chambers said. "All of us get it here at the shop. They're like, 'I know you from TikTok.'"
Locals who visited Pike Place Market on Saturday were offered exclusive offers like a free gift with a $50 market purchase. The event is the kick-off to a month-long local celebration in February.
You can learn more about Pike Place's signature events here.