Mae West Day
05.17.2011 The Market has had a host of celebrities walking through it over the years. I remember seeing Jack Nicholson outside of Place Pigalle. Kurt Cobaine used to walk routinely through the Atrium on his way to Tenzing Momo. President Clinton held a rally on Pike Place and George W Bush supposedly rubbed Rachel's nose for good luck. None have meant as much as the Market's own celebs. Mae West is one such person.
Our Mae was an elderly and eccentric woman who visited the Market daily. She was known for her raunchiness as much as she was known for her consistency. Mae would flirt with the many men in the Market, stopping by the fish markets and waving. She often sat for shopkeepers so so folks could take breaks. She was loved so much that May 18th was proclaimed Mae West Day in the city of Seattle.
While Mae is no longer with us the celebration of her day remains a part of the city's calendar. Happy Mae West Day, May 18, 2011!