"Pigs on Parade" is a benefit for the Pike Place Market Foundation that aims to collect a $1 million for services that include helping the needy and the elderly, as well as historic preservation. The artists' space, located in the concourse that connects Rainier Tower with Union Square, gives tenants and visitors the opportunity to watch the artists decorate the pig and see the progress on a daily basis.

A spokesperson from the Pike Place Market Foundation said the idea came from other cities such as Zurich and Chicago, which raised money with fiberglass cows, and Toronto, which used moose. The pig was a natural for Seattle. "Rachel," a bronze pig located in the Pike Place Market, is a city landmark.