Pike Place Market expansion will have its grand opening June 29

Pike Place Market has grown for the first time in decades with the brand-new MarketFront expansion—and while you can explore it yourself right now, an official grand opening on June 29 is designed to show off the new space.

For the public, that means 30,000 square feet of open public space, 47 new stalls on the roof with a pavilion to protect them during all seasons, 12,000 square feet of new retail space, more public art, and a neighborhood center with social services.

The expansion also comes with 40 new units of low-income, senior housing.

Pike Place Market can already be a little bit of a maze to the uninitiated without all the extra space, so the party will have some activities designed to get people acclimated to all that new square footage—including interactive stops with the vendors.

If you want to just look, though, they’ll have walking maps available.

It’ll also include performances by local musicians, headlined by Grace Love.

Public art in the space is already coming together. One piece by Clare Dohna, “Northwest Microcosm,” lines the grand staircase with local sea, plant, and animal life.

Even if you don’t have a whole day to spend, the view from the new rooftop should be pretty great. (And if you do have a whole day to spend, the Pike Place Market Foundation is still looking for grand opening volunteers.)

• MarketFront [Pike Place Market]
• MarketFront Grand Opening [Pike Place Market]