No doubt about it: Ski season is in full swing in Jackson Hole during the months of January and February. But there are other winter pastimes and events available for you and your family to experience while you're in the Tetons.
Here is our round-up of what's going on.
January Events
Ongoing throughout the month:
• Wyoming Stargazing offers free, year-round, public stargazing events on clear Thursdays of each month (when the temperature is above zero degrees Fahrenheit!) just after sunset in the northwest corner of the Stilson parking lot off Hwy. 390 and 22, behind the bus hut where there are no lights. There is $25/person recommended donation. Astronomy educators use one of their large aperture telescopes to show you planets, stars, planetary nebulae, galaxies, and more. There is no need to reserve your spot in advance; just come and go as you please. In the event of inclement weather, visit Wyoming Stargazing offices at 1135 Maple Way, unit 1, for a sci-fi movie screening. Popcorn, apple cider and hot cocoa are provided.
• Jackson Hole Moose Hockey games will be held in the Snow King Sports & Events Center on January 5, 6, 12 and 13 - Visit snowkingsec.com.
• Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides - From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Tickets are sold in theNational Elk Refuge & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in the parking lot. - fws.gov/refuge/national_elk_refuge
• Bluegrass Tuesday's in the Silver Dollar Showroom at the historic Wort Hotel has been bringing locals and visitors together for 15 years, year-round, through the music of One Ton Pig; 7-10:30 p.m.
• "GlowNights" in Teton Village and at the Center for the Arts - Annual installation through Feb. 4th presented by JH Public Art; free admission daily until 10 p.m. with celebration events at each location. - jhpublicart.org
• An open mic night is held at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at Cowboy Coffee on Town Square
• The iconic Jackson Hole Hootenanny takes place every Monday night at 6 p.m. in the Silver Dollar Showroom in the Wort Hotel.
• Enjoy free live music every day at the Mangy Moose from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
6: "Leaving Yellowstone" Film Screening - Center for the Arts; 7 p.m. - jhcenterforthearts.org
7: JH Nordic Alliance 6th Annual Free Ski, Fat Bike and Snowshoe Day - Turpin Meadow Ranch; lunch, snacks, hot and cold drinks; 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. - jhnordic.com
11: International Fly Fishing Film Festival - Presented by Jackson Hole One Fly and Jackson Hole Trout Unlimited at 7 p.m. at the Center for the Arts - jhcenterforthearts.org
12: "Glow Lights" celebration event at Center for the Arts - Celebrate the opening of "Electric Dandelions" from 5 to 7 p.m. with sparklers, glowing art, live music and beverages. Presented by Jackson Hole Public Art and the Center for the Arts, this Glow Nights celebration will give guests a first look at 5 electric dandelions that will rise 25 feet above the landscape and cascade with twinkling colored lights this winter.
20: Winter People's Market - Farmer's market held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the conference center in the Lodge of Jackson Hole - tetonslowfood.org
26: Annual International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race - This family-friendly event will feature sled dogs, mushers, refreshments and fireworks, right in the middle of Jackson Town Square! Events start @ 5 p.m.; races @6:30 - wyomingstagestop.org
30: The Infamous Stringdusters at the Center for the Arts - 7 p.m. For tickets visit jhcenterforthearts.org
February Events
Ongoing throughout the month:
• Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides - From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Tickets are sold in the National Elk Refuge & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center in the parking lot. - fws.gov/refuge/national_elk_refuge
• Wyoming Stargazing offers free, year-round, public stargazing events on clear Thursdays of each month (when the temperature is above zero degrees Fahrenheit!) just after sunset in the northwest corner of the Stilson parking lot off Hwy. 390 and 22, behind the bus hut where there are no lights. There is $25/person recommended donation. Astronomy educators use one of their large aperture telescopes to show you planets, stars, planetary nebulae, galaxies, and more. There is no need to reserve your spot in advance; just come and go as you please. In the event of inclement weather, visit Wyoming Stargazing offices at 1135 Maple Way, unit 1, for a sci-fi movie screening. Popcorn, apple cider and hot cocoa are provided.
• "GlowNights" in Teton Village and at the Center for the Arts - Annual installation through Feb. 4 presented by JH Public Art; free admission daily until 10 p.m. with celebration events at each location. - jhpublicart.org
• Enjoy free live music every day at the Mangy Moose from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
• An open mic night is held at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at Cowboy Coffee on Town Square
• Jackson Hole Moose Hockey games will be held in the Snow King Sports & Events Center on February 2, 3, 16, 17, 23 and 24. The team is back in action for its 27th season of hard-hitting ice hockey in Jackson Hole. Visit snowkingsec.com.
• Honky Tonk Wednesdays at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson - Pete Muldoon & The Pilgrims; 6-9 p.m.; floor show and dancing - stagecoachbar.net
• Interdenominational weekly Sunday Services at the Bridger Gondola Summit - Participants ride the gondola up to the service in Rendezvous Lodge, and back down after. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Gondola ride to the service is complimentary without skis or snowboards; load at 9 a.m.; service starts 9:30 a.m. If you'd like to attend without ski/snowboard gear, complimentary gondola tickets will be available at the Guest Service Center underneath the Tram. - jacksonhole.com
• The iconic Jackson Hole Hootenanny takes place every Monday at 6 p.m. in the Silver Dollar Showroom in the Wort Hotel.
• Bluegrass Tuesdays in the Silver Dollar Showroom at the historic Wort Hotel has been bringing locals and visitors together for 15 years, year-round, through the music of One Ton Pig; 7-10:30 p.m.
• Jackson Hole Playhouse's winter dinner theatre musical, "The Love Shack," starts February 14th on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. through March 23rd; visit jhplayhouse.com for ticket information and reservations.
2: Annual International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race, Alpine leg - The Alpine (just 40 mins. south of Jackson through the Snake River Canyon) leg of this annual event starts at 9 a.m. at the Grey's River Trailhead entrance. Refreshments, entertainment and a warming hut. -wyomingstagestop.org
3-10: Kings & Queens of Corbet's Freeride Event - NOTE: Due to an unsafe snowpack, this year's event has been canceled. Watch as skiers and snowboarders take on the famous Corbet's Couloir at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in a new competition. - jacksonhole.com
9 & 10: “Jackson On Ice” at Teton Village Ice Rink - Presented by The Grand Teton Skating Association; free; 7 p.m.
9-10: 49th Annual Cutter Races - Chariot races held in Afton (WY) at 12:30 p.m.; $20 admission fee with all proceeds going to Shriner's Hospital. - jhshriners.org
10: 8th Annual Coney Classic Alpine Skijor and Dog Party - Cross-country ski races with dogs; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; on Palisades lake bed; refreshments. - alpinewy.org
15: Winter Art Walk - Join the galleries of Jackson Hole for a winter art walk. Enjoy new shows, artist demonstrations, refreshments and more at participating galleries.
15: WhoDunnit? Anonymous Art Show & Sale - The Art Association of Jackson Hole's annual event where art lovers bid on new works donated by 200+ artists and guess WhoDunnit? - artassociation.org
15: "Rest of the West" series at Teton County Library - "Myths of the West and American Identity" with historian and writer Betsy Gaines Quamman; 6 p.m. in Ordway Auditorium; free. Sponsored by the library and the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum - tclib.org
16: Winter People's Market - Farmer's market held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the conference center in the Lodge of Jackson Hole - tetonslowfood.org
17: Annual Moose Chase Nordic Race - Trail Creek Nordic Center in Wilson - jhskiclub.org
Mardi Gras Tuesday at Snake River Brewing - Celebrate Fat Tuesday with drink specials, a themed food menu including items like shrimp po’boys, and Tram Jam live from 6 to 9 p.m.
27-29: Special Olympics Wyoming Winter Games – Competitions will take place at both Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Teton Pines - sowy.org
28: Jackson Hole Chamber Music at Center for the Arts - 6 p.m. - jhcenterforthearts.org
29: WhoDunnit? Anonymous Art Show & Sale - The Art Association of Jackson Hole's annual event where art lovers bid on new works donated by 200+ artists and guess WhoDunnit? - artassociation.org
More Fun Things To Try
SEE WILDLIFE ON THE ELK REFUGE
January and February are the prime winter months for viewing wildlife here in Jackson Hole, especially out on the National Elk Refuge. Horse-drawn sleigh rides on the refuge are offered daily —and they hold the promise of spotting more than just the thousands of elk that winter out there every year. Bison, coyotes and foxes can also be seen mingling with the elk or on the outskirts of the refuge. You'll also be able to watch eagles and hawks flying overhead, too.
Sleigh rides run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Buy tickets at the Jackson Hole and Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center located at 532 North Cache St., just a few blocks north of Jackson's Town Square. Reservations are suggested, as the sleigh rides are run on a first come, first served basis. Cost: Adults $38 and ages 5-12, $23. Kids 4 and under ride for free. For more information, call (307) 733-0277 or 1 (800) 772-5386.
TAKE A SNOWCOACH THROUGH YELLOWSTONE
Yellowstone National Park is closed to cars during the winter, which means the only way to access the world’s first national park is by hopping on a snowmobile or snowcoach. Snowcoach tours provide a warmer, more social and relaxing alternative to snowmobiling. They also offer guided interpretations of the wildlife, history and geological features of the world’s first national park.
Tours are offered from December 15th through March 15th. Scenic Safaris and Teton Science Schools’ Wildlife Expeditions are the only two outfitters making snowcoach journeys available to you from Jackson Hole.
- Scenic Safaris’s full-day Old Faithful Tour will take you to the famous grand, old geyser, making several stops along the way to learn about the park's history and winter wildlife (think lots of bison!), view thermal features, and, of course, take pictures. Cost: $450
- Teton Science Schools’ Wildlife Expeditions also offers a full-day Old Faithful Expedition. Cost: $2,750 (up to four people)