The Jackson Hole Hootenanny gives you a reason to pack your harmonica, guitar, and singing voice when planning your trip to Jackson Hole. Even if your talent is lacking, you can always grab a seat and enjoy the Hoot!

The Jackson Hole Hootenanny goes back 50 years when Bill Briggs held “Teton Tea Parties” under a bridge in Grand Teton National Park, where artists gathered and sang together. In the 90’s the Hoot (as most people call it) moved to Dornan’s Bar in Moose and on December 8^th the Hootenanny will celebrate its’ 700^th show. Every Monday night, the Hoot begins at 7pm with artists signing in at 6:15pm. Any and all artists are welcomed to play and some guests throughout the years have included Tom Rush and the late John Denver. Nearly every Monday you can catch the local regular Hootenanny performers jamming out to a two-song set and collaborating amongst each other.

I suggest arriving at Dornan’s around 6:30pm and picking a good seat. I personally love to sit at the bar because you get both a great view of the stage and a great view of the Tetons through large glass windows that frame the bar. After you have your seat situated, either grab a local beer on tap or scoot into the wine store connected to the bar. The wine store has an excellent variety of wine and they will be happy to open the bottle for you to enjoy during the Hoot. Dornan’s is a great location to get an excellent pizza (try ‘The Peak’) or my personal favorite, their meatball sub. By the time your food arrives, the Hoot should be kicking off!

The Jackson Hole Hootenanny is truly a hidden gem of Jackson and a great way to catch up on all your favorite cowboy songs. A favorite song was one by Lynn Castle when she did her version of “Crazy” by Patsy Cline; however, not every song is country and some artists mix it up with versions of popular songs such as “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones.

Even if you don’t muster up the courage to sign up and sing a two-song set, the Hoot always seems to end with a song everyone sings along too. Slap your knee, clap your hand and sing along- I mean, the saying goes, “When in Jackson…” Right?