Old West summer to-do's in Jackson Hole
06 Jun 2023
Giddy up to these six favorite local Wyoming traditions
Summer 2023
Written By: Brigid Mander | Images: Richard Johnson (Rodeo) and courtesy
Bar T 5 Cookout and Show
Offered Monday-Saturday, May through September barT5.com Old Western transportation (covered wagons and draft horses) , music (singing cowboys), food (hearty Western fare, think meat and beans), and pioneer days camaraderie are celebrated during the Bar T’s famous summer chuckwagon events. Last but not least, the dinner and evening entertainment are set in the lovely forest and wildlife habitat along Cache Creek.
Jackson Hole Rodeo
Wednesdays, Saturdays, and select Fridays; Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day; gates open at 6:30 p.m., events begin at 8 p.m. jhrodeo.com Cowgirls, cowboys, livestock, and the highly trained equine stars of the rodeo have long occupied an exalted position in Western American culture, and are a quintessential experience for visitors. Two to three nights a week, barrel racing, calf roping, bull riding, bronc riding and more are on display for an unforgettable evening of ranching culture.Dornan’s Hootenanny
Mondays from 6–9 p.m. at the chuckwagon stage in Moose. For information call Dornan’s Resort at 307-733-2415, ext. 300. dornans.com The Hoot, as it’s known to locals, was founded in the 1960s as an open mic night for talented local folk musicians. Today, this long-running performance is a thriving social event and cherished by locals and visitors. Guests can order dinner and drinks, play cornhole and other lawn games, or just enjoy the music and the views.The Murie Center Front Porch
Dates vary, contact Teton Science Schools or Grand Teton National Park for details. tetonscience.org The true Old West wasn’t all cowboys, cattle and conquest. Olaus and Mardy Murie arrived in the 1930s, and were passionate advocates for protecting wild places and animals from wanton human development; their work culminated in the Federal Wilderness Act of 1964. Today, unique summer events at their former ranch feature influential speakers to intimate concerts by renowned musicians, thanks to Teton Science Schools and Grand Teton National Park.Bluegrass Tuesdays at the Wort
Every Tuesday at the Wort’s Silver Dollar Bar worthotel.com Every Tuesday, the One Ton Pig band infuses locals and visitors with lively bluegrass and Western swing music. The Wort’s Silver Dollar Bar is itself one of the few remaining historic parts of Jackson, rich in gambling, dancing and a bit of whisky drinking culture. Stop by to watch talented swing dancers and you’ll soon find yourself on the dance floor too.
Pendergraft Outfitters Pack Trips
Contact Pendergraft Outfitters for dates of operation and custom horsepacking trips. pendergraftoutfitters.com If you have a few extra days, go fully authentic with a multi-day pack trip on horseback by Pendergraft Outfitters, a fifth generation family business. Knowledgeable and skilled guides, lovely horses, and total immersion in the splendor of unspoiled alpine wildernesses, and you may find you don’t wish to return to the modern West at all.
