The Needling is always here to highlight the best local tips for visitors spending a weekend in Seattle—this week’s tip: The fishmongers at the world famous Pike Place Market will also toss your kid if you slip them $50.
“While they don’t advertise it publicly, locals in the know will tell you that the Pike Place fishmongers will pretty much toss anything if you slip them enough cash—even your kid,” said local travel guide Larissa Meyers. “For $50, they’ll gladly send little Parker ragdolling over the counter for a uniquely Seattle photo-op. But don’t worry about the safety of your child as they effortlessly sail through the air—in 40 years these sure-handed professionals have yet to drop a kid.”
Ever since John Yokoyama flung that first fish in the early 1980s, the fishmongers’ long tradition of tossing precious objects around the Seattle area have become part of local lore.
“You need something tossed in Seattle, these have always been your go-to guys—who do you think tossed that baby into the pool on the Nevermind album cover?” said local historian Clyde Rivers. “Back in the 90’s a couple of these guys even toured with Pearl Jam so they could chuck Eddie Vedder into the mosh pit when he wanted to crowd surf.”
Though they usually charge a small fee, the fishmongers reportedly said that they’d toss Kraken mascot Buoy into the Puget Sound for free.
