Hooking left at Left Bank Books, locals and tourists alike descend swiftly, following a blue hare right under 1st Avenue, through the deep green double doors into the candlelit Rabbit Box. The intimate yet open space places visitors between the pages of a storybook, allowing them to decide whether their adventure involves sharing a drink with drag queens, jamming out with fellow jazz musicians or getting their fortune told by a dragon and his taxidermied mouse companion (created by owner Robynne Hawthorne’s son). 

The Rabbit Box has been a community space with a focus on literary and music events since its opening in 2022. Owner Robynne Hawthorne has had experience establishing and maintaining venues in Seattle such as the Pearl Coffeehouse, Hotel Albatross, and Underwood Stables, before creating the Rabbit Box with her business partner and friend Tia Matthies. The Rabbit Box has a wide appeal, catering to artists of all kinds through their events. 

“We’ve done everything from flamenco, opera, poetry, music, jazz, funk, rock and roll, even puppetry,” Hawthorne said. “If you want to sign up, you can be part of this crazy Christmas show. We have one [event] coming up that’s a broken hearts singer-songwriter night. We do a funk jam once a month, all kid-friendly, where it’s four hours of people playing together for one long jazz funk song.”

Zach Hochstein, third-year interdisciplinary arts major and employee at the Rabbit Box, emphasized his enjoyment of the unique events held at the venue.

“I heard something a few weeks ago; it was called marine folk music. It was these older guys playing guitar, and it was all songs about boats and beautiful water,” Hochstein said. 

Karaoke is another popular musical event at the Rabbit Box, largely thanks to its charismatic and emphatic host Snaxx the Bunny, played by bartender and Rabbit Box employee Leeni Ramadan. The charming and imposingly tall white rabbit delivers squeaky yet tuneful musical performances, expert comedic timing, and trays full of cheesecake for birthday guests. 

“I knew I wanted to be involved in some way, but I didn’t know how, so I would just show up here on Fridays, and Robynne and I would sit at the bar and just talk about ideas.

I didn’t really know where to fit in, and then she’s like, ‘I really need this one bar shift covered.’

And I’m like, ‘alright, I’ll learn how to be a bartender,’” Ramadan said.

Formerly a horse stable, the Rabbit Box’s interior was designed as an intersection between Art Nouveau and the American West. Creeping golden vine tendrils are painted along the walls, drawing the eye to the similarly twisting flowers stitched into the surrounding tablecloths and the chandelier made of ceramic lilies in full bloom. The glossy dark wood of the bartop matches that of the floors and the grand piano on stage, all illuminated by hazy violet stage lights. 

The walls of the Rabbit Box display a variety of art shows as well. Featured currently are the works of Seattle artist Joel Romeo, a visual artist from Seattle. 

The Rabbit Box got its name from the 1970 Joseph Pintauro book by the same name, which is the Book of Spring in his Rainbow Box series of children’s books. A literary focused venue, the space frequently hosts visiting and local authors, as well as readings for both children and adults.Hawthorne, who was a teacher for 20 years, values maintaining the Rabbit Box a space for all ages.

“We’ve done kid-hosted bingo games, and open mics where children are encouraged to play and see their parents play,” Hawthorne said. “I’ve had a couple kids say to me, ‘I don’t feel like I’m supposed to be here.’ I’m like, ‘oh yeah you are. I worked extra hard to make sure you’re here.” 

Kael Barksdale, bartender and employee at Rabbit Box, described the community of people involved with Rabbit Box as her favorite part of the job. 

“Our staff right now is really solid and wonderful. Everyone here is an artist, which is really comforting. People that play here are people that belong here. This place draws in the people that are supposed to be here, you know?” Barksdale said. 

Within the whimsical walls of The Rabbit Box, one can expect to find all things strange, wonderful, and heartfelt. The Rabbit Box is one of the many establishments holding up the foundation of Pike Place Market; both literally and figuratively.