Winterfest Plans Laid

It may still be months away, but planning is already under way for the third annual Winterfest in Jackson Hole.  Rod Everett is on the Winterfest committee.  He says a major change this year moves the Cutter Races from the end of the festival week to the beginning of the week.  Everett says the move will benefit both the festival and the valley as a whole.  The Cutter Races will kick off with the traditional evening of Calcutta wagering on February 15^th followed by the racing that Saturday and Sunday. Other activities that weekend are to include ice skating on the square, a band called “Hot Tuna” which grew out of the old “Jefferson Airplane” playing at the Pink Garter, and a Moose Chase ski race.  Everett says the week will likewise be filled with similar activities along with snow sculpturing.  However, the concluding weekend we see the return of Ski Joring which had been discontinued here in the ‘90s.  Everett explains that Ski Joring involves a skier being pulled on a rope behind a horse while the skier negotiates a series of gates and jumps along the course. For the second year, Everett says the festival will include snow-bike racing, and a softball game on snowshoes.  Everett says a full schedule will be published after the first of the year.