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Jackson Hole Holiday Plans & Events
Where is the snow? No more property taxes?
Jason Ziernicki
November 24, 2025
For now, the Teton Tattle will settle into a rhythm of 1–2 newsletters per month. When Jackson ramps back into peak season, there’s a good chance we’ll bring back the weekly editions.
Teton Takes
1️⃣ Very Little Snow Thus Far ❄️
If you’re heading to Jackson soon, a quick note: Mother Nature is off to a slow start. We’re expecting a few inches this week, but the JHMR snow machines earned their overtime pay this weekend. Opening day at JHMR is still ON for this Friday, 11/28.
The upside? The long-range winter forecast still points to a solid snow season for Jackson.
If you are in Jackson this week, there is plenty to do:
Need last-minute plans? The Bistro can save your Thanksgiving.
Plan ahead for Christmas in Jackson Hole
2️⃣ What Affordable Housing Really Means in Jackson
Whether you’re a visitor planning your “Instagram Winter Wonderland” trip or a local juggling three jobs and a Subaru payment, you’ve heard people talk about “affordable housing.”
The problem? It’s become a catchphrase, not a solution. So here’s the reality:
It’s Not About “Cheap,” It’s About “Possible”
Local regulations define “affordable” as housing that costs a household no more than 30% of its income (including utilities). Anything beyond that, and technically, you’re “cost-burdened”, a fancy government way of saying you’re broke from rent.
To qualify for the town or county’s Affordable Home Program, your household income generally has to fall somewhere between 0% and 120% of the local Median Family Income (MFI). The MFI is recalculated each year, and in Jackson’s 2025 version, it looks like this:
Household Size | Median Family Income (2025) |
|---|---|
1 person | $99,050 |
2 people | $113,200 |
3 people | $127,350 |
4 people | $141,500 |
5 people | $152,820 |
6+ people | $164,140+ |
So an “affordable” 2-bedroom home might be targeted for, say, a two-person household earning 80–120% of MFI, or about $90,000 to $135,000 a year. Not exactly low income, but in a valley where the median condo price hovers around $1.8 million, that range suddenly sounds like working-class reality.
So, who decides what is “affordable?” - READ MORE
3️⃣ Don’t Be This Guy…..
I’ll never forget the day at “Old Faithful” when a tourist confidently declared that the bison lying in the field were “definitely animatronics.” Because apparently, Yellowstone is just Frontierland with better branding.
Please respect the park and its animals. We are one world-class moron away from a headline that writes itself.
One more bit of wild news this week: prediction market Kalshi actually opened a market on whether a supervolcano will erupt. Yes… a supervolcano. What is happening?
Wyoming Lawmakers Float Plan To Kill Property Taxes
Yes, really. And yes, it gets complicated.
Wyoming lawmakers are kicking the hornet’s nest again, and this time the buzz is loud enough to shake even a Teton Village latte. The Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee has advanced a plan that could eliminate residential property taxes entirely across the state. That’s right, no tax bill. None. Zip. Nada. A Wyoming homeowner’s dream, or a bureaucrat’s night terror, depending on who you ask.
Before you sprint to Zillow to price out your victory home in Bar None or Melody Ranch, here’s the part where reality taps the brakes: Lawmakers are pairing the property tax kill with a statewide sales-tax increase, jumping from 4 percent to 6 percent. And yes, here in Teton County, already at 7 percent, you can practically hear the collective groan.
The Proposal in a Nutshell
Lawmakers advanced five property-tax reform concepts, including a constitutional amendment that would ban residential property taxes altogether.
Eliminating them means wiping out roughly $644 million per year in local revenue, money that currently funds schools, roads, emergency services, snowplows, and other things Wyoming residents tend to enjoy.
To backfill the crater, one bill raises the statewide sales tax by two full points.
Critics call the move regressive, warning it will hit lower-income residents hardest while giving homeowners a major windfall.
Others warn it may distort the housing market, especially in places like Teton County, where a “no residential property tax” banner might as well be a bat-signal to wealthy second-home buyers.
❄️ Jackson, WY Weather This Week ⛅️
❄️ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER EVENTS IN JACKSON
🦃 November 27: Annual Turkey Trot
Start Thanksgiving with a 5K run/walk from Wilson Boat Launch. Gobble, then wobble.
🎿 November 28: Ski Season Officially Begins
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Opening Day
The big one’s back — time to drop in
🎄 November 28: Town Square Lighting
A Jackson Hole classic. Cocoa, cookies, carols & Santa’s mailbox under 10,000 twinkling lights. 5-7pm.
December 4 – 8: Early Holiday Festivities
🎄 Dec 4: Wort Hotel Annual Street Lighting & Party
Live music, Santa, and complimentary treats 5–7:30 p.m.
🎿 Dec 5: Snow King Mountain Opens for Winter! snowkingmountain.com
🎨 Dec 5–6: 62nd Annual Holiday Bazaar – Art Association
9 a.m.–4 p.m. @ JH Conference Center. $6 entry
👖 Dec 5: Ski in Jeans Day – JH Mountain Resort - Break a world record & a denim seam. Discounted tickets + après party → jacksonhole.com
😂 Dec 5 & 6: Laff Staff Improv Show – Center for the Arts 8 p.m. $20
🥕 Dec 6: Slow Food Winter Market – Fairgrounds 1–4 p.m.
🍪 Dec 6–7: Shop Local Weekend – Cookies & Cocoa on Town Square 1–4 p.m.
🍷 Dec 8: Sip & Shop at the Wort Hotel – Local artisans + wine $20
December 11 – 15: Films, Festivals & Feel-Good Fun
🎭 Dec 11–13: It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play – Riot Act Studio 7 p.m. $22/$17
🎥 Dec 11–14: Jackson Hole Film Festival – Museum of Wildlife Art $20
🎿 Dec 12–14: Kids on Snow – Teton Village (Kids ski free!) → jacksonhole.com
🎨 Dec 13: Holiday Bazaar – Snake River Lodge & Spa Noon–6 p.m. $6 adults
🛍️ Dec 13–14: Shop Local Weekend Cookies & Cocoa 1–4 p.m.
🧤 Dec 13: “Thrift & Gift” Show – Virginian Lodge + music & food
🎈 Dec 13: Kids Market – Hotel Terra Noon–4 p.m. $6 entry / Kids free
🎶 Dec 13: Box Elder Farewell Show – Mangy Moose 8 p.m. $19
🎅 Dec 14–24: Visit Santa on the Square 5–7 p.m. Nightly
🎉 Dec 14: Village Party – Hotel Terra Noon–6 p.m. Free music, food & babysitting!
🎶 Dec 15: Holiday Hoot – Silver Dollar Showroom 6–9 p.m. Free
December 17 – 22: Music, Magic & Merrymaking
🎹 Dec 17: Tony DeSare – Christmas Classics @ The Center 7 p.m. $50–$100
🎶 Dec 18: Kids Karols @ Silver Dollar 10:30–11:30 a.m. Free
🍸 Dec 18: Holiday Cocktails & Tasha & The Goodfellows – 7 p.m. Wort Hotel
🔥 Dec 19: Winter Solstice at R Park 4–7 p.m. Chili, sledding, lantern trail, and cocktails by Wyoming Whiskey.
🎿 Dec 19: JHMR 60th Anniversary Celebration Kick-Off $60 lift tickets + music →jacksonhole.com
🎄 Dec 19: Teton Village Tree Lighting & GlowNights 4–6 p.m.
🍷 Dec 19: Holiday Shop & Sip – Village Sports 4–7 p.m.
🦌 Dec 20: Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides Open (weather dependent)
🐕 Dec 20: Snow Cats & Avalanche Dogs Demo – JHMR Kid’s Ranch 4:30–5:30 p.m.
🕎 Dec 20: Grand Menorah Lighting & Gelt Drop – Town Square Hot latkes, songs, and falling chocolate coins!
🎅 Dec 21: Breakfast with Santa – Silver Dollar Grill 9–11 a.m.
⛸️ Dec 22: Free Skate Night & Hot Cocoa – JHMR 4–5 p.m.
🎁 Dec 22: Family Old Time Christmas – History Museum 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
🎨 Dec 23: Ornament Making – Base of Sweetwater Gondola 4:30–6:30 p.m.
🎅 Dec 24: Santa Rappels from the Tram – 4:20 p.m. JHMR
🎉 Dec 24: Naughty or Nice Christmas Party – Cowboy Bar 8:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. 21+
🎅 Dec 25: Ski with Santa – JHMR 10 a.m.–noon
🧩 Dec 26: Family Scavenger Hunt – JHMR 10 a.m. via JH Insider App
🛷 Dec 27: Sledding Evening – JHMR 4:30–5:30 p.m.
🎶 Dec 27: Deadlocks Winter Ball – Mangy Moose 8 p.m. $21
⛸️ Dec 29: Free Skate Night & Cocoa – JHMR 4–5 p.m.
🎆 Dec 31: New Year’s Eve Celebrations:
Silver Dollar Showroom & Cowboy Bar – Live Music, No Cover
Torchlight Parades & Fireworks at JHMR, Snow King & Grand Targhee
LOOKING AHEAD
Rendezvous Festival ‘26 Dates Announced for March.
Targhee Fest is back this summer!
Give me a call:📱307-205-9808
 | I’m a Philly transplant who swapped skyscrapers for the Tetons. After trading the East Coast grind for mountain living, I started the Teton Tattle to share the stories, events, and quirks that make Jackson tick — served with equal parts wit and Wyoming charm. |
Off-Season Reminder
The most common reaction I hear when people plan a Jackson trip in November/December is surprise that it’s considered “slow season.” After all, the Tetons are still standing tall, the town is still beautiful, and there’s somen snow on the ground, so what’s “slow” about it?
You can expect:
Lower lodging rates and easier restaurant reservations.
Cooler temps (20s–40s °F) and occasional early snowstorms.
Some businesses closing briefly for seasonal breaks or renovations.
Wildlife still active, especially elk and moose moving into the valley for winter.
A relaxed, local vibe that’s hard to find mid-summer.
🚨 Important Note on Park Access
If you’re hoping to explore the national parks, keep in mind that access to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park is limited in November. Most Yellowstone entrances, including the South Entrance from Jackson, close to vehicle traffic in early November, reopening only for guided snowcoach and snowmobile tours in mid-December. Grand Teton National Park remains partially open, but many interior roads close to vehicles once the snow begins to stick, leaving only plowed routes like Highway 89/191 and the section between Moose and Moran.
