Fireworks illuminate Snow King Resort during the 2008 Fourth of July celebration. photo courtesy Randy Shacket

The Fourth of July is symbolic not only of our independence, but in Jackson Hole, it ushers in the long-awaited, yet short-lived summer season (even if rain clouds rear their foreboding heads into Saturday’s sky). This year offers a bevy of Independence Day activities from family fun to late-night raucous. Here are a few local-worthy events to drop in on.

From dawn ‘til dusk

Rent party at LMC
Before early morning parades saunter down Millward and nighttime explosives detonate above Snow King, start off the weekend in the name of more than just partying, 5:30 p.m. at Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary, for a special First Friday event.

Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary has been an integral force in propelling contemporary art in Jackson Hole. And since its inception in 2006, First Friday events have been a vehicle for locals to coalesce via art, music, drinks and ideas.

But much to the dismay of valley art connoisseurs, the Jackson St. gallery, revamped from an old engine repair shop, may be forced to close its doors due to financial problems. So this First Friday will feature affordable pieces by Jenny Dowd and Matt Flint, and will hopefully, secure the future of more First Friday events at LMC.

It’s B.Y.O.B., and if you have some loot to spare and you like what you see, reciprocate the love and purchase a piece. The party is an opportunity to ensure the life and legacy of an art space fostering a burgeoning culture in Jackson Hole. Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary is located at 130 South Jackson St. Call 307.734.0649.

Cheap drinks, swanky vibes
On either Friday or Saturday night, head over to Rendezvous Bistro between 10 p.m. and midnight for the Broadway eatery’s new happy hour. Sip on pomegranate martinis, mixed drinks, microbrews and wine for half the regular price. A late-night, inexpensive menu of toothsome appetizers and small plate dishes from calamari and hamburgers to fried goat cheese is also available while you cheers to cheap libations.

Yippie-i-o + Lights in the sky
Before smoky skies invade the Western cosmos, a Jackson Hole rodeo at Teton County fairgrounds will captivate audiences with some ole fashioned wrangling at 8 p.m., Saturday. Afterward, if you’re in town, head over to Snow King Resort, or grab a seat on an East Jackson lawn, roof or deck to catch a peak at the Jaycees’ Fireworks, beginning at 10 p.m., Saturday.

For folks on the West Bank, Teton Village will also host a fireworks display, beginning at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, with free gondola rides throughout the day until 10:30 p.m. To supplement the celebration, the sounds of bluegrass outfit Head for the Hills will round out the evening, along with Random Canyon Growlers at the Mangy Moose, 9:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Cover is $8.

For the whole fam-damily

Jaycee’s Pancake Breakfast and Howdy Pardners’ Fourth of July Parade
Slow the kids down ala bellies full of carbs at the Jaycees’ Pancake Breakfast, 7 to 10:30 a.m., Saturday on Town Square. Flapjacks run $4 for children and $9 for adults, and after savoring a syrupy plate, saunter to the Teton County Fairgrounds for a parade at 10:30 a.m. that will march down Millward and through Town Square, complete with horses, floats, souped-up vintage rides and the proverbial parade marching band, thanks to the Jackson Hole Community Band.
The band will also perform a full length concert on Town Square at 11:30 a.m.

Music in the Hole
Early birds and ambitious picnickers can head to Alpine Field, near Jackson Hole Middle School, at 9 a.m., Saturday, to secure a spot for Music in the Hole.  Beginning at 3 p.m., performances include the Jackson Hole Community Band; high school rockers Thirsty at 4 p.m., and at 4:30 p.m. catch a preview of the Off Square Theatre performance Petticoat Rules: The Jackson Hole Revue, a history lesson chronicling the audacious females of Wyo.’s past.

Following the drama, Brasiliana Latin Jazz doses audiences with some smoldering grooves at 5 p.m., and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra will close out the festival at 6 p.m.

To get there, catch a complimentary START bus ride, a shuttle from Presbyterian Church or after a bike ride, let Friends of Pathways valet your bicycle for free.

Racing across the Pass
For the rambunctious folk who can’t sit still and enjoy the holiday unless some ‘gnar’ is involved, head to Grand Targhee for the fourteenth annual WYDAHO Bike Race. Sail through single and double track at the resort’s base and compete in beginner, intermediate and advanced courses beginning at 1 p.m., Saturday.
If battling on foot is your stronger suit, enlist in a race to the top of Fred’s Mountain.  Head to the Main Plaza for registration at 11 a.m., the $25 fee includes a T-shirt and BBQ, which will be much needed after a 2.5 mile route extending nearly 2000 vertical feet.

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