National Western Stock Show basks in tradition
A signature event that celebrates the West’s rich western heritage will soon take center stage.
The National Western Stock Show is Jan. 10 to 25 at the National Western Complex in Denver, Colorado.
Wes Allison, president and CEO, said the National Western Stock Show has 120 years of supporting and lifting up and bragging about the importance of western heritage, spirit and agriculture on the Front Range while connecting rural and urban interests.
“From my seat it is really about hanging onto that tradition, but then also being able to do it all in a brand-new way,” Allison said.
The National Western Stock Show annually attracts about 650,000 to 700,000 people a year with a 2026 goal of eclipsing 700,000 visitors. The economic impact in 2026 is expected to be about $175 to $180 million.
Attendees will be able to take in traditional livestock shows that have included familiar shows of cattle and horses. There are more than 7,000 livestock entries and more than 2,000 horse and equestrian-horse entries. Major western entertainment of the season includes the first indoor Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos.
Visitors will also begin to enjoy new facilities including the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center or The Legacy, the new NWSS headquarters.
“It gives us a new way to present the story about producers and how they feed America,” he said, adding that in the process it is an important conduit to educating an urban audience.
The National Western Stock Show complex is in the process of a multi-year improvement campaign. The livestock center in the CoBank Arena and the CoBank Auction Arena is finished. A new equestrian center is up next with work starting in the second quarter in 2026 and it is expected to be finished in late 2028 and ready for the 2029 stock show. The following phase, that is in the beginning stage of development, will be a new expo hall.
Leadership
Allison credits the past leadership of the National Western Stock Show and local officials who helped drive the improvements.
Allison said around 2014 there were rumors the NWSS might move to another location east of Denver or even to another city, but fortunately a steering group led by then mayor Michael Hancock went to work. Allison said the group first said, “We want to keep its historic value and it’s so important to our heritage.”
Allison said Denver is in essence a “cowtown.” That history and heritage creates a destination for visitors, but also for agriculture, innovators and entrepreneurs. The National Western partners with Colorado State University and that opens many new opportunities particularly for year-round educational programs.
The livestock center is designed for multiple purposes for junior livestock and cattle shows, but also can be used for volleyball tournaments, he said.
The equestrian center, once built, will have a minimum of 750 stalls and can also be expanded into a parking garage facility.
The Yards host outdoor festivals and a new coliseum with 10,000 to 12,000 seating capacity is planned that can complement other entertainment venues, Allison said. All of it is the result of visionaries willing to make generational decisions rather than focusing on only four years.
“The hardest thing we have to do is to be patient enough and wait for it all to happen,” he said.
Health, safety and stewardship
Also with the improvements, the health and safety of people and stewardship of animals is at the top of the list and includes, as an example, an air filtration system in the livestock center and the process cycles in fresh air six times an hour and that curbs the smell of ammonia.
“In the CoBank Arena, we will show our cattle on turf so it allows us to keep that facility cleaner than hauling dirt in and out of it,” he said.
The National Western and other shows are using a carpet innovation instead of rubber mats to prevent falls and as a result the main alleys in entire livestock center will be carpeted and that will enhance the customer experience, he said.
The organizers also have a committee dedicated to animal care that incorporates concerns over communicable diseases that could occur with livestock or horses, he said. That means working closely with local health officials, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Colorado State University to make sure all protocols are in place.
Take it all in
Whether a person is visiting for the first time or has attended for 40 years, Allison said National Western Stock Show is a multi-day experience and one spot he encourages them to see is the Wold Family Heritage Center that has the history of the stock show from its early 20th-century roots to where it is today.
“There are some great artifacts in there and also great things to see,” he said. “There’s a small theater to watch historic movies.”
The Katherine and J. Robert Wilson Art Gallery houses an impressive art collection. Families will have an opportunity to visit a large petting farm, Allison said, adding youth can benefit from the educational experience.
For the first time in many years the stock show will have a rabbit show and has also added a mini-bronc riding contest.
“You need to plan for multiple days, because there’s multiple opportunities to be entertained and educated plus experience what we have to offer as we celebrate 120 years of western heritage,” Allison said.
“Our new tagline this year, this year is We Are The West. We want to give you an opportunity to define the West and we’re going to do that through our mission, vision and values, and we’re going to talk about this being that place to come explore and experience the western spirit.”
The Kick-off Parade was Jan. 8 through downtown with Peter Coors serving as grand marshal.
For more information, visit nationalwestern.com.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
