JH Hootenanny 02-03-2025

Doors open at 5pm-Hoot starts at 6pm.
The Jackson Hole Hootenanny is a very popular open mic that fills up fast. Musicians sign up between 5 and 6pm with the show starting right at 6. Musicians play two, 3-minute songs, acoustic only, and are asked to play a traditional (old enough to vote) tune + one other.
What exactly is a “Hootenanny?” Originally, it was an Appalachian colloquialism which, in the 1960s, morphed into an informal gathering with folk music. Here in Jackson, back in the good ole’ days, Bill Briggs (first person to ski the Grand Teton) brought his music to friends and folkies under the bridge in Moose, WY. This was the start of what has now become the famous Jackson Hole Hootenanny.
Over the years, “The Hoot” has hosted hundreds of local musicians, as well as, out-of-town celebrities such as John Denver, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Peter Rowan and Chuck Pyle in an atmosphere of congeniality. Differing from other open mike venues, the emphasis is on traditional acoustic music. No amplification is allowed other than two microphones. The audience is asked to be quiet and listen. Often, musicians join together in spur-of-the-moment groups.