DENVER — If you notice your neighbor's holiday lights are on after Christmas Day, it's not because they're lazy.
They are taking part in the Colorado tradition of keeping Christmas lights up through the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
The 118th annual National Western Stock Show opens Saturday, Jan. 6, and continues through Sunday, Jan. 21, at the National Western Complex and Denver Coliseum at Interstate 70 and Brighton Boulevard.
A tradition since 1906, the part-rodeo, part-livestock show and part-fair brings hundreds of thousands of people to Colorado each January for a celebration of our state’s agricultural heritage.
National Western Stock Show CEO Paul Andrews said everyone associated with the show participates in this holiday tradition.
While some of the details behind the tradition have been lost in time, the custom of keeping Christmas lights on through the end of the Stock Show dates back to 1922, when Christmas lights were first hung outside the Denver City and County Building.
Denver leaders encouraged residents in the 1940s to continue the tradition of leaving up their Christmas lights to welcome visitors and to keep the city looking festive in January.
"It's important we show them much love, and the Christmas lights were just one idea to help do that," Andrews said.
Each year, people from 48 states and 32 countries travel to Denver for the National Western Stock Show. In 2023, the 16-day event hosted 702,697 people, the fourth-highest attended show in the agricultural celebration's 117-year history.
The Castle Rock Star also remains lit every year from Thanksgiving until the end of the National Western Stock Show.
The 2024 National Western Stock Show will begin with a Kick-Off Parade on Thursday, Jan. 4. Denver Broncos legend Randy Gradishar will serve as Grand Marshal for the parade.
Gradishar will lead the traditional drive of cattle, horses and wagon from Union Station down twelve blocks of 17th Street to Glenarm Place in downtown Denver.
Gradishar played for the Broncos from 1974 to 1983, leading the 1977 "Orange Crush" defense to the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance and becoming the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. Gradishar is a senior finalist nomineee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Parade-goers, downtown businesses, and passersby are invited to stop by the Stock Show Fair at McGregor Square following the parade, where attendees may enjoy McNicholas Miniatures therapy horses, western royalty, ice skating and a food market.
National Western Stock Show Kickoff Parade
The 2024 National Western Stock Show will host 29 rodeo performances, including Colorado vs. the World rodeos, Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza, PBR Bull Riding, and MLK Jr. African-American Heritage Rodeo. There is also a full schedule of horse shows, starting with the RAM Freestyle Reining show and family events, including the Xtreme Dog shows and Wild West shows.
The National Western has one of the world’s richest regular-season professional rodeos, one of the country’s largest horse shows and Colorado’s largest agricultural trade show. The Stock Show welcomes attendees from 48 states and 32 countries and will drive an estimated $120 million in economic impact to the Denver area, organizers said.
Hosting over 25 breeds of cattle, bison, yaks, and longhorns, the Cille and Ron Williams Yards and the HW Hutchison Family Stockyards Event Center are the epicenter for the 2024 Super Bowl of livestock shows.
Tickets to the National Western Stock Show and a full schedule of events can be found at NationalWestern.com.
9NEWS is a corporate partner of the National Western Stock Show.
Colorado Christmas lights 2023
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