Seattle Sunset Supper, August 16, 2013

Aside from the Space Needle, I suspect the second-most iconic landmark of Seattle is the Pike Place Market.  It was the first farmer's market established in Seattle back in 1907, a long time before the farm to table movement that is fashionable today.  It is open 362 days a year and boasts a most colorful mix of fruits and vegetables, meat and fish and tourist kitsch which draws hoards of tourists and locals alike who can shake the hand of the farmer, butcher, fishmonger, beekeeper or baker selling their goods.

Each year the Pike Place Market Foundation hosts a fund-raising event called the Sunset Supper to support the various services provided to the farmers and their families who work in the market. On one summer evening in August each year the market closes early, the streets are closed, tents are raised and 1,200 guests attend an eating, drinking and dancing extravaganza.  Tickets for the charitable event run from $60 to $100 per person.

The event is largely supported by volunteers.  When we lived in Seattle, Mike and I volunteered for 3 or 4 years and had a great experience.  Part of the benefit of volunteering, a 3-4 hour shift, was you were able to attend the event for free or more recently due to the economy, at a discounted rate.  When we arrived in Seattle this month I emailed the volunteer coordinator and let her know that there were two seasoned volunteers available for her use.  She politely declined and said she would keep our names if cancellations occurred.  Wonder of wonders, a couple of days before the event some volunteers flaked out and there were two slots for Sponsor Tent Set-Up vacant.  We checked out calendar and low and behold we were available to fill in.:-)

We picked up and donned our "volunteer" t-shirts at the appointed time.  The expected and historic chaos of managing over 100 volunteers was evident at the beginning of our shift soon became organized and effective.  We set up tables, chairs, distributed linens, glasses and gift bags and iced copious amounts of beer and wine.  Mike had a near incident with a fellow volunteer in a "lead" t-shirt during the linen distribution process who thought she was speaking to her 13 year old son.  I was proud of his restraint.

The first part of the shift is always fun as tourists pass by and inquire about the event and what is happening. It is still a proud moment to be part of the event and explain the purpose and value to the community even though we don't live here anymore.

The holy grail of volunteering at this event is that you get an early shift which allows you to attend the event in the first half hour which is reserved for the "Sponsor Only" ticket holders.  This early entry gets the lucky few the ability to visit the best tents before it gets very crowded.  The vendors are extremely generous and creative with their donated gourmet tapas sized comestibles and wine and liquor pourings.  Salmon and other Northwest favorites have a strong presence.  My personal favorite this year was a rosemary lavender ice cream although everything tasted amazing.

As with all the other years we attended, the night was magical.  The weather was perfect.  The food, wine, distilled spirits and of course Starbucks flowed freely for 4 hours. We were stuffed, slightly inebriated and enjoying the cover band by the stars looking out over Puget Sound by 10 pm.  A nice walk home, no cab needed, made it a perfect ending to the night.  If you live here and haven't done it, volunteer or buy a ticket.  It is fun and good for the community.