While Jackson’s growing season is short, its offerings are many, and this ​“make hay while the sun shines” work ethic fuels the character of every rancher, farmer, or chef you’ll meet. Shake hands with the farmer who grew your carrots while inquiring about his varieties. (Trust us — he’ll talk for hours!) Or, ask a local chef or baker the meaning behind their ingredients.

Don’t just eat the food, experience it!

“Knowing where the food you are eating comes from is so incredibly important, and [The Jackson Hole Farmers Market] gives you a front row seat into the community that grows it,” says Shervin.

So, let’s say your Saturday is already booked — coffee at Persephone on the West Bank, a hike around Jenny Lake in the park, happy hour at Dornan’s overlooking the breathtaking Teton Range — and you can’t quite fit this Saturday soirée into your itinerary. Well, you have another chance (And a stellar one, at that!) to get up close and personal with both the locals and their food at the Jackson Hole People’s Market, Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., on the Center for the Arts Lawn.

“Slow Food in the Tetons People’s Market is a weekly celebration of local food,” says Charlotte Walker, communications director for Slow Food in the Tetons. ​“It brings together regional farmers, food vendors, artists, and musicians in a festive, zero-waste environment.”

At this ​“weekly celebration of local food, sustainability, and community,” you can expect to find fresh produce, handmade goods, prepared foods, cold beverages, and live music, all in an after-work, family-friendly setting. Stop by to grab dinner and enjoy a craft beer and live music, all while eavesdropping on local conversations about what’s biting on the Snake or the singletrack mountain biking trails that are riding well.

“It’s the perfect way to experience Jackson like a local,” says Walker.

Slow Food in the Tetons, a global movement gone local, provides the backbone for making clean, seasonal food available to everyone year-round. They partner with farms, ranches, chefs, restaurants, and food activists to provide an online shopping hub, food resources, and programs, like the Local Food Access Program, which offers price reductions on regional and locally grown food for Jackson Hole families. In addition to the People’s Market, this organization also operates a farm stand on Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer, spearheads a community garden, and hosts cooking classes throughout the year.

If you happen to catch Slow Food’s bi-annual Farm to Fork Festival (this year it will be held October 3 – 5, 2025), you’re in for a treat. This event ​“celebrates the harvest season and the amazing producers who feed our community,” says Walker.

“Visitors can enjoy chef demos and workshops, a locally sourced community lunch, panel discussions, and a vibrant farmers market — all centered around local food and sustainable practices. It’s a joyful educational event that reflects Jackson’s growing commitment to community, sustainability, and healthy living,” she explains.

Along the same vein (and held much earlier in the season) is Table on the Ranch hosted by the Jackson Hole Farmers Market. This year’s event, which takes place on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Little Jennie Ranch in Bondurant, features private Chef Brad Ledo of Cooking In the Dark. Ledo will source his entire menu from farmers market vendors to provide a multi-course spread served in a farm setting around a communal table, encouraging connection and conversation. 

And while this food celebration requires a small drive (the ranch is 43 miles from Jackson), the trek may prove to be the most memorable part of your vacation

“Little Jennie Ranch is an incredible location, and it will give our attendees a super unique experience of our area,” says Shervin, ​“Plus, ticket prices help pay for the incredibly hard work our farmers, ranchers, food vendors, and chefs put into their craft.”

Still, some circles prefer pairing seasonal flavors with an appropriate apéritif. If this is your jam, Jackson Hole Food & Wine’s Summer Festival is for you. This bi-annual festival offers several different ticketed tasting events held over three days, June 26 – 28, 2025, and a portion of the proceeds goes to local and national nonprofits, like Hole Food Rescue based out of Jackson.

“Pairing seasonally-sourced items with wine and beer is a great way to celebrate local flavor at its peak,” says Megan Gallagher, director and founder of Jackson Hole Food & Wine. ​”In places like Jackson Hole, where there’s a strong connection to the land and a thriving local food culture, these pairings tell a deeper story. They reflect the landscape, the climate, the time of year, and the people behind the food and drink. That sense of place is what turns a good meal into something truly memorable.”

At the festival’s flagship event, Taste of Jackson Hole, attendees ride the Bridger Gondola to a mid-mountain location at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Guests enjoy dramatic sweeping views while sampling mouthwatering bites from some of the best local chefs and restaurants. Gallagher explains that many chefs use the event to showcase signature dishes or to try out something new, and most of them work with local farmers and purveyors to feature regional produce, meat, and cheeses.

“It’s not just about the food, however,” says Gallagher, ​“We also bring in local craft brewers, top wineries, and spirit makers from around the world. The vibe is laid-back and delicious — and it’s one of those evenings people look forward to all year.” (If you go, make sure to check out the offerings of the region’s only winery, Jackson Hole Winery, and Pure Madness, a collaboration between local breweries, Melvin Brewing and Roadhouse Brewing Co.).

A trip through Jackson’s food scene is unlike any city-based food experience you’ve ever had. According to Shervin, our cuisine is ​“deeply rooted in the environment” and is ​“unique, due to a combination of geography, community values, and sustainable practices.” Attending a high-altitude food event — where produce is grown in pristine soils and rumants breathe some of the cleanest air on earth — can only be experienced here. So why not bump elbows with a local farmer while on your trip, or shake hands with an acclaimed brewmaster? The conversations centered around unforgettable cuisine are addictive, making you surely want to return, even if it’s just for the food.