JH Travel & Tourism board awards $850K for 2026-27 ‘signature events’
Minutes show the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board voted 4-0 on March 12 to allocate $850,000 in signature-event grants for late 2026 and spring 2027, with two members recused from portions of the vote.
The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board voted 4-0 on March 12 to allocate $850,000 in “signature event” funding, after discussing seven applications and taking public comment. The board ultimately funded four events and declined to fund three others, according to the meeting minutes. (Board Meeting Minutes)
Under the amended motion that passed, the board awarded $572,500 to the Rendezvous Music Festival (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort), $125,000 to the Jackson Hole International Film Festival, $112,500 to Native Voices and the Teton Powwow (Central Wyoming College), and $40,000 to the Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race. The board zeroed out funding for Horseshoe Music Festival (Launch Pad Foundation), Teton Skijoring and “An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson,” the financial report shows. (TTB Funding Requests and Awards Financial Report)
The minutes also note recusals tied to conflicts: Chair Julie Calder recused herself from an earlier agenda item involving Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and later Calder and board member Brian Pope left the room and abstained from the signature-event vote due to involvement with Rendezvous and the film festival, respectively. Public comments submitted and delivered in person largely supported funding for the four events that were ultimately awarded grants. (Board Meeting Minutes; Rendezvous Music Festival and Jackson Hole International Film Festival Public Comments)