National Western Stock Show 2027: Dates, Tickets, Parking and Getting There

Stand on 17th Street at noon on Thursday, January 7, 2027 and a herd of Longhorns walks right past you. That’s how the National Western Stock Show 2027 begins, the 121st edition of a show that dates to 1906.

The gates open to the public two days later and stay open through Sunday, January 24. Visit Denver says guests come from 45 states and 30 countries. That’s a lot of stock show Denver visitors hunting for one parking lot.

Stock Show 2027 Key Dates

A family booking flights around the National Western Stock Show dates should look at the weekday first. Opening day lands on a Saturday, while the free day falls on a Tuesday.

The Kick-off Parade on 17th Street

At noon on Thursday, January 7, 2027, the National Western Stock Show parade leaves Union Station for 17th and Glenarm Place. According to the show’s parade page, more than 30 Longhorn cattle share the street with horses, wagons, marching bands and floats.

Entries heading back take 18th Street to Wynkoop. So the page asks spectators to stay behind the barricades, well clear of the cattle and the wranglers on horseback.

After the last float, the Stock Show Fair carries on at McGregor Square. It has therapy horses, music, western royalty, a food market and ice skating. Route maps live on the Kick-off Parade page.

Tickets, Grounds Admission and the Season Pass

Tickets went on sale on October 1, 2026, according to the 2027 ticket announcement. A presale ran before that, from September 24 through 30. The announcement counts 45 ticketed events, and the $85 Season Grounds Pass covers all 16 days.

Buy a ticket for any event on Saturday, January 16, 2027 and grounds admission for that day comes with it. That takes in the horse show and the livestock barns. Kids from 3 to 11 pay a price that shifts with the day of the week, while guests 2 and under walk in free.

National Western Stock Show tickets sell through nationalwestern.com and Ticketmaster. That includes the PBR Bull Riding and the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza, two stock show rodeo nights with their own listings.

National Western Stock Show Parking and the Coors Field Shuttle

Park at Coors Field, 1601 Park Ave W, and National Western Stock Show parking costs nothing. That’s according to the Stock Show parking and maps page. The organizer asks for an hour’s lead, so be at the lot by 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. performance. Then a free shuttle from the east side of the Coors Field garage comes every 10 to 15 minutes. It stops at the Hall of Education and keeps running until an hour after the last rodeo lets out.

Here the sources disagree. The parking page names Coors Field as the only free lot this year, while the show’s FAQ lists the National Western lots as free too. So ask before counting on a spot at the gate.

Denver Coliseum parking at the arena’s west end is first come, first served. Westword has also described parking near the Complex as at a premium. The posted map still carries a 2026 label, so look for a 2027 version first.

Rideshare, N Line and Drop-Off at the Complex

Rideshare drop-off sits near the front entrance of the National Western Complex at 4655 Humboldt Street. The Denver Coliseum, at 4600 Humboldt Street, has its own marked pickup area.

Light rail is one stop away, since the RTD N Line runs from Union Station to 48th & Brighton. That station sits at the National Western Center, on the edge of Elyria-Swansea. Wikipedia counts 360 riders a day there in 2025, the lowest on the N Line.

A group leaving a downtown hotel for the Saturday, January 16, 2027 session can get a quote for the ride. The price comes back once the pickup address is in.

Coming from Denver Airport or with a Group

Land at DEN on Friday, January 8, 2027 with four relatives, and the night before opening day starts with a 45-minute drive. All five fit in one SUV on the Denver Airport to Downtown Denver private shuttle.

Add the 20% gratuity and the $179 SUV comes to $215, about $43 a person for those five. Groups of up to 14 fit the van, and the SUV and Sprinter fleet page shows the vehicles. For a driver waiting at arrivals, the Denver Airport car service page has the details, and +1 970-401-0821 reaches dispatch.

What to Bring and What Stays Home

The Stock Show FAQ sets the gate rules. Its first line on bags says security may search any backpack at any time.

• Security may open any backpack.
• A point-and-shoot camera is fine.
• Wheelchairs come from Expo Hall.
• Western wear fits right in.

Wheelchair loans run from the booth above the Expo Hall south lobby. A state ID stays there until the chair comes back. The food ban has exceptions for babies and medical needs. Also, only exhibited animals and service animals come onto the grounds.

• Coolers stay at the hotel.
• Outside drinks get turned away.
• Tripods are banned.
• Telephoto lenses are turned back.