Hi, I’m Natalie Montoya! If you’re used to seeing me in your inbox for our Tuesday events newsletter, welcome to something a little different: the Bucket Listicle. These listicles are meant to inform and help you experience the Denver area more deeply. Every Tuesday, the Bucket Listicle dives into one topic worth discussing, starting with our favorite facts about the National Western Stock Show! AI tools help inform our research, but our team guides every story.
Last week, I spoke with John Wilhelm, vice president of marketing and brand development of the National Western Stock Show, to get an inside look at the history and traditions of this iconic event. He shared stories and insights that go beyond what most visitors see.
The National Western Stock Show contributes so much to Denver socially and economically (about $170 million). In a special way, the show is a cultural bridge between urban and rural Colorado. Wilhelm says attending is “a great way for folks from Colorado and beyond to come to Denver to experience, learn and understand the history and heritage of the Western spirit, the Western lifestyle, and about livestock and agriculture.”
This year, the show will be celebrating its 120th anniversary and will be running from January 10-25. The full schedule for the National Western Stock Show can be found here.
1.)
The annual kickoff parade is on January 8 in front of Union Station, and features Longhorn cattle, rodeo royalty, the Westernaires, and even the mayor alongside the board of directors. Pete Coors is the grand marshall. Check out the parade route here. The parade turns downtown Denver into a living representation of the American West. In 2025, one of the year’s big parade highlights, the herd of Longhorn cattle, never made it down 17th Street because they were stuck in awful traffic on I-25 due to icy road conditions. That won’t be the case this year with our mild weather. “The thing that excites me the most,” says Wilhelm, “is being able to take the tradition and legacy and continue to build this for generations to come.”
2.)
This year, attendees can catch the Stock Show’s first ever rabbit show! It’s expected to draw regional and national breeders and 4-H and FFA adding a “small stock” attraction alongside other livestock. Fun Fact: According to the ARBA, the American Rabbit Breeders Association, there are 52 different rabbit breeds in the U.S. John told me one of the biggest challenges before the Stock Show is “getting anything from cattle to alpacas to llamas to sheep to goats into the venues.”
3.)
Denver residents are encouraged to leave their holiday lights up until after the stock show is over. This tradition began in the 1920s when lights were put up at the state capitol and Denver City and County building, but remains as a way to show support and to honor the city’s Western heritage. When the lights come down, Denver’s “holiday season” is officially over. The tradition is especially common in older neighborhoods like West Highland, Park Hill, Wash Park, Five Points, and Capitol Hill. Locals say you don’t take your lights down until the last steer leaves town.
4.)
The Stock Show draws close to 700,000 people and over 1,000 volunteers pitch in each year to make it possible. Their dedication ensures that visitors enjoy the full experience of Colorado’s biggest Western celebration. Wilhelm says “We wouldn’t be able to pull any of this off if it weren’t for our amazing group of volunteers. We have passionate, amazing volunteers that will come in year after year, help support efforts across the board for what we do.”
5.)
Since 1945, the Grand Champion Steer and the Reserve Grand Champion Steer have been led down a red carpet into the Brown Palace downtown for afternoon tea. Once they enter the atrium, they participate in a ceremony known as “Steer Day.” They get royal treatment eating from a silver platter and drinking from a silver bowl. One year, the grand champion steer bolted from the Brown Palace lobby and trotted down 17th Street. History says handlers finally caught him when the steer stopped to admire his reflection in a building’s windows several blocks away.
John ended our conversation about the National Western Stock Show, saying “It’s about a place, it’s about family, it’s about community, it’s about agriculture, it’s about livestock, and the importance of all of that and what it means to us. It’s really about the Spirit of the West and Western lifestyle, and this is the home of it.”
Do you have a listicle in mind? Any ideas can be sent to natalie.montoya@colorado.edu. And don’t forget to check out our events calendar on our website to see what else is happening in our area. See you next Tuesday with another Bucket Listicle.
Natalie Montoya
Events Manager/ Bucket List Community News
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