Old West Days
Planning is underway for the 23nd Annual Old West Days celebration, which will take place May 28-31, 2004. This years historic Old West Days will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the assembly of Lewis and Clarks Corps of Discovery expedition and the enduring spirit of adventure that flourishes in Jackson Hole today. Perhaps more than any other place on earth, Jackson Hole embodies the spirit of this years theme: Exploration and Adventure.
Millions of people from all over the world visit our mountain valley every year and relive the adventures of past explorersMeriwether Lewis, William Clark, John Colter, Sacagaweaand, later ones, Jedediah Smith, David Jackson, Jim Bridger and other mountain men. Todays explorers visit the scenic canyons and alpine lakes, search for waterfalls in the backcountry, follow trails through pine forests to Yellowstones captivating geo-thermal features, climb legendary peaks in the Teton Range and ride horseback through mountain meadowsrecreating the historic adventure celebrated by Old West Days.
The long weekend of activities includes a parade, a chuckwagon dinner and concert, Bed Races, the Mountain Man Rendezvous, a rodeo, and daily events on the Town Square. Cowboy hats and boots, and Indian trade beads reign during this whooping western weekend sponsored by Jackson State Bank & Trust, Bar J Chuckwagon, the Town of Jackson and Teton County.
Visitors can talk with the modern-day mountain men as they gather to recreate the famous Rendezvous begun during the frontier era by famous trappers such as John Colter, Jim Bridger and Davey Jackson. A visit to the Mountain Man Rendezvous sets you back in time where virtually everything is historically authenticated, from teepees to campfire cooked fry bread. Old West Days also kicks off the first official "Shoot Out" of the summer season, Saturday, May 24, at 6:15 pm. Everyone gathers at the Town Square to watch gunslingers in an action-packed western melodrama which pits the good guys against the bad guys in a re-enactment of frontier justice. Old West Days activities include the first regular rodeo of the season on Saturday night, live country music throughout the weekend on the Town Square, and historic walking tours of Jackson.
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