Jackson, WY — The annual Cowgirls at the Cowboy music festival opened Thursday with a lively songwriter showcase at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. The three‑night event, now in its fifth year, highlighted the only all‑women country music festival in the nation.

Documentary premiere celebrates Wyoming’s pioneering women

Before the musical performances, festival‑goers watched the world premiere of Million Dollar Cowgirl Country, a documentary that traces 150 years of Wyoming’s pioneering women and the birth of the festival in 2022. The film features interviews with History Jackson Hole Executive Director Morgan Jaouen, Trail Creek Ranch legend Muggs Schultz and Jackson Hole Playhouse owner Vicki Garnick, among others.

Nashville songwriters bring “Bluebird style” to Jackson

After the hour‑long film, the bar filled for a seated 90‑minute show. Festival curator Jenny Tolman introduced fellow songwriters Lily Meola and Jessi Alexander. All three performed “Bluebird style,” a nod to Nashville’s famed songwriter venue.

Lily Meola opened with her original “Sleeping with My Boots On,” accompanied on guitar by Tolman’s husband Dave Brainard. She also sang “Daisies,” “Postcards to Heaven,” “Daydream” and a brand‑new work‑in‑progress. Between songs Meola quipped, “Singing here is like a sport. The air is so thin,” prompting Tolman to reply, “Well, it was the most beautiful marathon I’ve ever heard.”

Jenny Tolman then performed her story‑driven songs, including “There Goes the Neighborhood,” “I Don’t Wanna Dance,” “Honky Tonk Songs” and “Stripper for a Week.” She dedicated her cut “Million Dollar Cowboy” to the late Wort Hotel and Cowboy Bar owner Bill Baxter.

Jessi Alexander, battling a cold and armed with a can of oxygen and a dose of Mucinex, delivered a high‑energy set. She opened with “Mine Would Be You,” a hit she wrote for Blake Shelton, followed by the Megan Moroney collaboration “Beautiful Things,” Morgan Wallen’s “The Way I Talk,” and a Luke Combs track from the Twisters soundtrack, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma.” Alexander closed with a rousing rendition of Miley Cyrus’s “The Climb,” earning thunderous applause and a standing ovation for all three women.

Festival continues with more country legends

The Cowgirls at the Cowboy festival will continue Friday and Saturday, featuring performances by Mackenzie Carpenter and Emmylou Harris, promising more celebration of women’s contributions to country music and Wyoming’s heritage.

Original reporting: Buckrail (Jackson WY) — read the source article.