This Quirky Elk Festival Is The Most Wyoming Event You’ll Ever Attend

Wyoming is a quirky state, and that's why we love it. Many of our biggest events and festivals would draw quizzical looks in other parts of the country, but out here, they are things we look forward to all year long! The massive Elk Antler Auction in Jackson is one such event, and if you haven't marked your calendar for Elk Fest yet, what are you waiting for? This year's celebration will begin with a Mountain Man Rendevous kickoff, and the fun continues all day long on May 18th and 19th, 2019, in the Jackson Town Square.

Jackson's National Elk Refuge is home to tens of thousands of majestic elk, and people visit all year long to see them in their natural habitat against the backdrop of the Tetons.

Every spring, when the snow begins to melt, bull elk shed their antlers and begin to grow new horns.

The National Elk Refuge hosts a day each spring for local Boy Scout troops to hike through the refuge, gathering up the antlers that lie on the ground and to get them ready for the ElkFest Antler Auction.

What began as a fundraising auction has turned into an annual weekend of festivities! Thousands come to Jackson Hole to attend the auction and kick off spring.

Though the weekend is full of live entertainment, kids games, crafts, local vendors, and more, the highlight is the auction.

The antlers that the Scouts collected are tagged and weighed, and they go up for auction. Most buyers are artists and local businesses looking for unique decor.

Eighty percent of the proceeds from the Elk Antler Auction go to the National Elk Refuge, and local Boy Scout Troops receive the other twenty percent.

At the end of the weekend, the High Noon Chili Cookoff is the best way to wrap up the festivities! Try locally made Elk and Bison chili and decide who makes the best in town.

Check out a video of ElkFest below

Elk Fest In Jackson Hole, Wyoming from Portis Group on Vimeo.

Find out all you need to know about ElkFest on the Jackson Chamber of Commerce page here.

Speaking of Antlers - did you know that the world's largest Antler arch is in Wyoming? No, we're not talking about the Jackson Town Square Arches! The Best Roadside Attraction In Wyoming Is Hiding In One Tiny Town and you're going to want to plan a road trip.