The National Western Stock Show — a Denver tradition for more than a hundred years — won’t happen in 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, stock show officials announced Monday.
“The global pandemic has impacted all live events throughout America and across the globe,” Doug Jones, chairman of the board of the National Western Stock Show, said at a press conference Monday morning. “It is with heartfelt emotion we must announce today that the 115th” stock show must be postponed for a year.
In a release, officials said the event couldn’t comply with health and safety guidelines that have been issued to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stock show is the largest agricultural show in Colorado with nearly 900 booths each year, drawing about 700,000 attendees, Jones said. It has an economic impact of $120 million, he said.
“This is by no means a small impact for the city or the region, quite frankly,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said.
The city is in full support of the decision, he said, despite the economic pain it will cause.
The decision to cancel the show needed to be made now because of the expenses and planning that go into it, President and CEO Paul Andrews said. Organizers considered a virtual show and other options, but rejected them.
“The responsible decision was to postpone the stock show one year until January 2022,” Andrews said.
It was last canceled in 1922 during an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease.
Youths who would have been in their last year of competition in 2021 will be allowed to compete next year.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
