JACKSON HOLE'S OLD WEST DAYS
The West lives on in Jackson Hole and the annual event that celebrates that spirit is fittingly called Old West Days. A favorite among locals and visitors alike, it is traditionally hosted over Memorial Day weekend.
Travel + Leisure named Jackson Hole its No. 1 "Best Places to Travel in May" in large part due to the Old West Days celebration of our Western heritage.
The 44th Annual Old West Days will be presented May 16th through May 26th, 2025. The festival features a "Best of the West" parade, the Mountain Man Rendezvous, the beginning of rodeo season, Old West Brew Fest and the launch of stagecoach rides and the infamous Jackson Hole Shootout, among other events. (See the schedule below.)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
16th-26th: Mountain Man Rendezvous and Traders' Row - 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Teton County Fairgrounds. Pre-1840 Mountain Men Celebration complete with a Traders Row, candy cannon, bow and arrow competition, hawk and knife competition and Atlatal competition.
16-23: 2nd Annual Restaurant Week in Jackson and Teton Village - As a part of the Old West Days celebration, local eateries will offer prix fixe deals on lunch (starting at $15 per person) and dinner (starting at $30 each). For the complete list of participating restaurants, click here
17-18: Homesteaders & Mountain Men: Living History of the American West at Teton County Fairgrounds - From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., step back in time and experience the rugged spirit of the 1800s as this immersive, free, family-friendly event brings the past to life with two incredible reenactments: Wagons & Tales, showcasing the daily life of 1850s homesteaders, and the Mountain Man Rendezvous, featuring a lively Trader’s Row where 1840s-era mountain men barter goods and swap stories. Explore trader's tents, watch live demonstrations and hear first-person historical accounts that reveal what life was really like on the early frontier.
23: The 6th Annual Million Dollar Music Fest Kick-Off Show in the Cowboy Bar will feature breakout sensation John Morgan. His latest “Friends Like That” anthem with Jason Aldean has reached the top 10 on country charts and continues heading towards the top. A limited number of reserved seats will be available for $100, and general admission tickets (dance floor open) are $25. Visit cowboybarjh.com for more information.
24: Annual Best of the West Parade - 10 a.m. on Town Square. One of the last and best horse-drawn parades of the Old West! Enjoy mountain men, vintage vehicles, covered wagons and the legendary gathering of gunslingers of the West, plus all the community groups that make Jackson Hole so special.
24: Following the Best of the West Parade, Visit the Jackson Hole History Museum For Free Admission and Family Activities - Celebrate Old West Days with free admission to the museum - jacksonholehistory.org
24: Jackson Hole Shootout - 6 p.m. on Town Square. The longest-running shootout in the country, since 1957. To learn more about the Shootout Gang, click here.
24: Jackson Hole Rodeo opens for the season - jhrodeo.com
24: Old West Family Activities - Teton County Fairgrounds from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
24: Old West Brew Fest - Teton County Fairgrounds; 11 a.m. -4 p.m. - jacksonholechamber.com
25: 6th Annual Million Dollar Music Fest, a free, all-ages, big-stage country music concert on the Town Square, presented by the iconic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. This year's lineup features country band Midland as the headliner, with John Michael Montgomery performing, too, and special guest musician Tenille Townes. Gates open at 4 p.m. and opening acts begin at 6 p.m., rain or shine - cowboybarjh.com
25: Cowboy Church on Town Square - A unique blend of faith and the Old West, offering a spiritual service that welcomes all to connect with community and God; 10 a.m.
26: Stagecoach Rides - 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Stagecoach rides around historic downtown Jackson. Tickets are $6 adult, $4 child.
26: American Legion Memorial Service - 10 a.m. on Town Square. Memorial Day ceremonies at the flagpole.
OLD WEST DAYS PARADE
The Best of the West Parade steps off in Town Square at 10 a.m. on May 24th. The march was originally a Memorial Day parade before becoming an Old West event more than 40 years ago.
Horses, covered wagons, cowboys of all kinds and mountain men in the garb of the fur trapper era set the tone of the Old West Days theme.
The parade also includes civic groups such as the Jackson Hole Lions Club, Kiwanis, Elks Lodge and Shrine Club, as well as Teton County Fair and Rodeo Royalty, the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, the Bar T-5 Chuckwagon and local ranches, plus dozens of other community groups, illustrating what makes Jackson Hole the Best in the West.
MOUNTAIN MAN RENDEZVOUS
If you like history and you like romance, you are going to like the Jackson Hole Mountain Man Rendezvous.
This decades-old event has been a tradition in the valley and a focal point of the annual Old West Days weekend festivities.
Tipis, tomahawks and buckskin-attired mountain men (and women) aren’t the usual inhabitants of Teton County Fairgrounds. But a blast from Jackson Hole’s past will be in residence at the rodeo grounds until Memorial Day (May 26th), allowing a look back into the fur-trade era of the Wild West. The rendezvous traditionally begins during ElkFest and continues through Old West Days. There is no fee to attend this throwback experience to the Old West.
FUN FACT
Jackson Hole was originally called Jackson’s Hole, named after fur trapper Davey Jackson who came to the area in 1822, along with fellow trappers Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger and William Sublette. Trappers often referred to any valley or depression between mountain ranges as a “hole.” Eventually, the apostrophe “s” was dropped and the valley has been known as Jackson Hole ever since.
It is said that Jackson attended the first Mountain Man Rendezvous in the Green River area of Wyoming in 1825.