Colorado is known for many things, not least of which is its Western heritage.

The 120th annual National Western Stock Show pays homage to our history with thousands of events, including rodeos, horse shows, a Wild West show, Western art exhibit, livestock competitions and auction, a 3,500-square-feet petting farm and more.

A noon parade in downtown Denver on Thursday kicks off the event, before opening Saturday and running through Jan. 25 at the National Western Complex.

New this year are the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Livestock Center and The Legacy building.

“It truly is a place to come and learn about the Western spirit,” said National Western Stock Show CEO Wes Allison. “This new space allows folks to see history and the timeline of the stock show from 1906 to the present — the connections to the stockyards and cattle drives from south Texas to here, and the rail line and agriculture production that was here and how we became an iconic location and event.”

The stock show, started in 1906 as the Western Live Stock Show, was set up in a circus tent at the Denver Union Stockyards by local agricultural leaders to demonstrate breeding and feeding techniques, and to promote the livestock industry in the region.

Draft horses were introduced to the show the following year, and in 1944 the first National Western American Quarter Horse Association show was held. In 1945 the show grew to nine days and saw the sale of almost 400 junior steers.

Fast forward to the modern-day show, where all 50 U.S. states and 33 countries are represented. More than 2,000 horses are entered in shows over the event’s 16 days, and 29 rodeo performances are on the books. More than 12,000 animals stomp across the grounds, and about 35,000 people from the metro Denver area and outside of Colorado bring livestock. And there’s art — the annual Coors Western Art Show features more than 200 pieces.

In excess of 700,000 visitors attend the show every year, and in 2023, it created $171 million in economic activity for Denver.

“We’ve created a place where business is done,” Allison said.

Hidden within more than a fortnight of activities are at least a couple of hidden gems, including the new Legacy Saloon inside The Legacy. It was designed as an authentic, turn-of-the-century watering hole that features a tin ceiling, stage and historic décor from the NWSS archives, including bricks from the old stockyards.

“When we built the new Legacy, our leadership wanted a saloon that made you believe you were stepping back into the 1880s,” Allison said.

Another traditional must-see is the Brown Palace Steer Day event, which finds the stock show’s two champion steers walking down a red carpet with their teenage owners, as they head to a tea date inside the historical Brown Palace Hotel in Denver. This year’s event is Jan. 23.

“We put on one of the top four stock shows in North America,” Allison said. “Come learn about the impact this show has had on Denver and the state of Colorado.”

If you go

What: National Western Stock Show

When: Saturday through Jan. 25

Where: National Western Complex Center, 4655 N. Humboldt St., Denver

Price: $9-$34 grounds admission, some events require tickets; nationalwestern.com

Something else: Parade, noon Thursday, starts outside Denver Union Station and travels 12 blocks down 17th Street to Glenarm Place