As you wonder around downtown Seattle you start noticing something other than the coffee shops that appear every 10feet or so. It appears that the city has been invaded by PIGS! Now why on earth would the Emerald City find the need to have numerous (total of 100) pig statues all donning different costumes and with different meanings scattered around the streets.
Perhaps the nursery rhyme, “This little piggy went to market”, will shed some light on the story. It all has to do with the city’s effort to save the market back in ‘71.
“In 1971, the citizens of Seattle voted to save the Market from the wrecking ball and also to ensure vital social services for low-income people. The Market Foundation thought a piggy bank could help raise money for these services. Georgia Gerber, a local sculptor, designed Rachel, the Market’s piggy bank.” (excerpt from http://pigsonparade.org)
In 2001 the city had their first Pigs on Parade to raise money for the market, by auctioning off the pigs at the end of August. In 2007 not only is it the Pike Market’s 100th birthday but it is also the Chinese year of the Golden Pig. So there is very special meaning for this years fundraiser.
I have been pounding the pavements on search of these pigs and will bring a new one every few days, lets see if you can find them…
Did you know? : Pike Place Market’s Highstalls are permanent produce stalls, built high off the ground, where vendors sell produce from around the world year-round. The highstalls were created by the city in 1911 in an attempt to provide a steady revenue source for the market.
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[...] I found on a travel guide blog for Seattle an explanation. It reads: “In 1971, the citizens of Seattle voted to save the Market from the wrecking ball and also to ensure vital social services for low-income people. The Market Foundation thought a piggy bank could help raise money for these services. Georgia Gerber, a local sculptor, designed Rachel, the Market’s piggy bank.” (excerpt from http://pigsonparade.org) [...]