Before you forget and cause yourself some embarrasement with dad, let me remind you this Sunday is Father’s Day. Whether you have a weekend full of quality time with pops, or have sent him warm wishes and a new gadget in leiu of your phyical presence, try getting outside. This weekend it’s free. in fact, free is the theme of this weekend round up. Ok, well not everything is free, but a lot of the events are. Read on.

That’s right. This weekend, in the name of dads everywhere, the national parks are free to the public. Even if the weather isn’t cooperating, just taking a drive up to Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Park to exercise your right to access this land for free will be satisfying in it’s self. Also, if you fly fish, word on the street is that the Fire Hole in Yellowstone has been fishing good. If you can’t make it up to the park this weekend, other free weekends in the future are July 18-19 and August 15-16.

Movies

By now you should know that KGB Productions will be screening their new documentary film Freedom Riders at the Jackson Hole Center for the Arts on Friday with two showings at 7 and 9 PM for just $10. Check out our behind the scenes interview with the filmmakers here.

Food

You probably already have plans to go sample the new food being offered at a few of our favorite local establishments, too. Shades, Betty Rock and Picas are all serving up new dishes geared for locals. Man, word travels fast in our little town; everyone’s so cool and in-the-know so fast these days. Must be all that texting and twittering.

Recreation

Enclosure Climbing Gym is having a free Father’s Day Climb on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is very serendipitous for them because it may rain on Sunday and if you were supposed to go to the mountains but opt out due to the weather, you can always go climbing at Enclosure. This Sunday it’s Free.

Family Fun

The Teton Raptor Center in Wilson will be having a free open house this Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. Starting July 1, they will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 to 4 p.m. but this Sunday will be their summer kick off event. Go check out their new facilities, gawk at the various birds of prey, bring your family, all for free! Who cares if it rains? Look for coverage next week on the new center from us.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Seems like it’s been raining since forever and this weekend there are, again, chances of rain showers and thunderstorms. But don’t let that get you down. Fretting about the weather is silly and small minded. There’s tons of stuff to do no matter what. Below is a small selection of activities going on this weekend just in case your rock climbing-mountain biking-river rafting-extreme-o plans get canceled. Summer is here and it’s going to be fun no matter what.

Music -  Rotating Superstructure. Friday, 6:00 p.m. Cutty’s Bar, free all ages.

Rotating Superstructure is a new Jackson-based independent rock band comprised of four local Jackson kids in their late teens. The record-release party for their debut album “Bouncy Castle” is this Friday at 6 p.m at Cutty’s Bar on the corner of Hwy 89 and 22.  It’s a free all-ages show, which is a rarity in Jackson. Visit their myspace page, listen to the song The Quadratic Formula, memorize the lyrics and sing along at the show.

Art - Unbroken Spirit: The Life of Stanford Addison. Friday, 7:30 p.m Center Theater, Center for the Arts, Free/ $5 suggested donation

30 years ago, Stanford Addison, a Northern Arapahoe who lives on the Wind River Indian Reservation, became a paraplegic after his truck hit a herd of wild horses. Since then he has “ learned to make friends with the horses again.” Now, Addison has become a traditional healer and horse gentler all from the seat of his wheel chair. Friday night at the Center for the Arts Theater photos of Addsion by Sarah Kariko will hang on the walls, Lisa Jones, author of the book “Unbroken Spirit” will speak, and Addison will lead in an evening of song prayer and storytelling.

Food - Pearl Street Meat and Fish
260 W. Pearl Avenue
733.1300

If you miss Chef’s Table, rest assured, we now have Pearl Street Meat and Fish, Jackson’s newest gourmet market. In just their first week of business they have already become a bustling hub for townies and tourists alike. On the surface it may appear like a yuppie establishment with inflated prices, but don’t be fooled, the most expensive sandwich on their menu comes in at $7.95—pretty cheap—make it a “deluxe box lunch” for $3.50 more and you get a bag of chips, 20 oz. drink, and your choice of salad or a cookie. That means the most you’ll spend on lunch here is around $11.50. Not bad, as lunch at Chef’s Table could often cost more than that. Not just a lunch spot, you can also pick up high quality meats to grill for dinner later on. Check it out. It’s so good.

Movies - Now playing

Stay curent with the rest of America and go see that movie The Hangover. Everyone says it’s hilarious so it probably is. It’s playing at Jackson Hole Twin Cinema (the one on Pearl Avenue) at 4:30, 7:00 and 9:15. If you need to go to a more family friendly flick, go to Land of the Lost at the Teton Theater (the old single-screen one on North Cache), it’s playing at 4:30, 7:00 and 9:15 as well. Just one question: How come there are no late night showings here in Jackson?

Night Life - Never-ending

There are a myriad of bands playing at a myriad of bars on Saturday, none of which are particularly notable. Most are repeat acts that play around all the time at bars you’ve been to too many times. This is not to devalue these bands or these bars. If you walk into a bar and music is playing, most of the time it’s pretty good in Jackson. So on Saturday, go into town, walk into one of these bars, crack a beer and make sure you’re with friends. That’s all you really need to have a good time anyway. Beer, friends and music.

Popularity: 6% [?]