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Old West Days celebrates 44 years of frontier heritage
A western heritage celebration with parades, reenactments, and community events centered around Town Square—timed perfectly for spring shoulder-season travel.
Event details
Old West Days runs May 16 to 26, 2025 as an 11 day festival spanning the third weekend of May through Memorial Day. Founded in 1981 to commemorate the grand reopening of The Wort Hotel following a devastating August 1980 fire, this 44th annual celebration transforms Jackson into a full scale frontier celebration.
The centerpiece Best of the West Parade steps off from Glenwood Street at 10:00 AM on May 24, 2025, proceeding down Broadway past the iconic elk antler arches. Horse drawn wagons, mountain men in period attire, the American Legion Color Guard, and Rodeo Queens create a procession unchanged in essential character from the festival’s beginnings. Admission is free.
The Jackson Town Square Shootout, running since 1957 and recognized as the longest continuously running shootout in the United States, performs Monday through Saturday at 6:00 PM from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Created by rodeo clown Clover Sturlin, who originated the character Clover the Killer, these 15 to 20 minute performances by Jackson Hole Playhouse actors blend gunfights, singing, and comedy. Arrive by 5:30 PM to secure viewing spots along the northeast corner of Town Square. The 2025 season opens May 23 at 6:00 PM.
The Mountain Man Rendezvous at the Teton County Fairgrounds recreates the pre 1840s Rocky Mountain fur trade era daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Traders’ Row features canvas tents and teepees where vendors in period attire sell handcrafted leather goods, woven blankets, traditional axes, and beaded jewelry. Interactive competitions include bow and arrow, hawk and knife throwing, and atlatl demonstrations. Admission is free.
The Jackson Hole Rodeo Season Opener takes place May 24, with gates opening at 6:30 PM and the rodeo starting at 8:00 PM. Continuing a tradition dating back to 1890, the rodeo is run by the Wilson family, now six generations of descendants from original settlers, at the Teton County Fairgrounds at 447 Snow King Avenue. Events include bareback riding, bull riding, barrel racing, and mutton busting for young cowboys. Tickets are $44 when purchased directly from jhrodeo.com, and visitors are advised to avoid resale sites that charge significantly more.
Music highlights include the Million Dollar Music Fest main stage concert on Town Square on May 25, which is free and headlined by Midland, John Michael Montgomery, and Tenille Townes. The kickoff show at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar on May 23 features John Morgan, with tickets priced at $25 for general admission and $100 for reserved seating.
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