Attending Pike Place Market's first Dia De Muertos Festival

 

A Calavera (skeleton) stands over the Pike Place Market for the Dia De Muertos Festival on October 23rd. 

On Friday, October 23rd, the Pike Place Market held its first ever Dia De Muertos event. The festival was from noon until 9 pm, with a parade at 6:30. Over 10,000 people attended. My husband and I went in the early afternoon around 1 pm. They decorated the market with sugar skulls and skeletons, and I made sure to get a lot of photos! The skeletons are called Calaveras, and they even had people walking through the market with giant paper mache ones on their heads. They had local artists, live music, cultural displays, face painting, community alters, dancing devils, and more. The energy felt vibrant, with everyone coming together to celebrate. It was a little busy when we went, but at night for the parade, I saw online there was a sea of people. 

While we were at Pike Place Market, we grabbed a drink at the upstairs Spritz Bar inside the local Italian store DeLaurenti Food and Wine. I had a Blood Orange Mimosa and he had a Negroni. This hidden bar inside of the upstairs wine store was our first visit and definitely not our last! We also explored the lower-level shops in the market and found the store The Market Magic Shop. Right outside the store they have a Harry Potter inspired booth with a Magic Hat that gives you a little card with a fortune. The Magic Hat looks just like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter. For $2.00 it will talk and dispense a card. So fun and perfect for my scrapbook.  

Then we walked around a little more and the crowd was getting thicker, and our parking would soon be up. I took some more photos and got a shot of a woman with a huge Calavera on her head. It looked really cool! My husband and I enjoyed walking around the market and checking out the Dia De Muertos event, grabbing a drink, and soaking up the positive energy and community in Seattle.