Pike Place Market to test Sip and Savor open-container alcohol program
Patrons at Pike Place Market will be able to sip on alcoholic beverages while strolling around certain areas of the market through a pilot program launching this summer.
The Sip and Savor program, which will kick off June 5 and run through Labor Day weekend, allows visitors to purchase alcoholic beverages from 24 participating businesses and carry them around designated marketplace areas. The pilot program will operate Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4:30 p.m., and patrons must finish or discard their drinks by 5 p.m. The program was approved by the Pike Place Market Historical Commission earlier this month and got acknowledgment from the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority at an executive council meeting Thursday.
Hours will vary for special events, such as during the Welcoming the World Night Market on June 18, when Sip and Savor hours will be extended to 10 p.m., with the last call for drinks at 9:30 p.m. The marketplace's World Cup Watch Party on June 19 will still follow the typical noon to 5 p.m. schedule, according to the Pike Place Market PDA.
In Washington state, it's generally illegal to open and consume alcohol in public spaces, except in designated areas or specially permitted events. The Sip and Savor program comes after a law was passed last year that allows licensed businesses to extend alcohol services into approved public spaces with local authorization, just in time for the FIFA Men's World Cup starting in June. The law allows cities and counties to designate larger spaces where residents can roam freely with alcohol.
The Sip and Savor program was created to help drive additional revenue for Pike Place Market businesses and increase foot traffic from locals and tourists to the market, according to the PDA.
"At a time when our small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges, the PDA is committed to supporting the economic vitality of our independent eateries, shops, farmers and craftspeople," said Rachel Ligtenberg, president and CEO of the Pike Place Market PDA, in a news release.
Individuals who buy Sip and Savor beverages will be ID'd and given a wristband. Permitted consumption areas, such as outdoor public seating - 50 more picnic tables were installed along Pike Place and the MarketFront ahead of the summer - will be marked with clear signage, according to the PDA. All Sip and Savor beverages from participating vendors will be served in designated cups, and marketplace staff will provide roaming enforcement throughout the service area.
Pike Place Market will also remain closed to most vehicle traffic during Sip and Savor hours. Last month, the Seattle Department of Transportation installed temporary movable bollards to limit vehicles from entering the market ahead of the World Cup. The marketplace did its first mostly car-free test run last April at First Avenue and Pike Street. The Pike Place Market PDA saw a 5.6% increase in local and regional visitors to the market from 2024 to 2025, attributing this growth to its limited vehicle access pilot.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct name of the program and the organization that approved it.
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 4:51 PM.