Updated Dec. 10, 2025
In many parts of the country, leaving your Christmas lights up weeks after the holidays can earn you an HOA fine. But in Denver, it’s not just acceptable—it’s a beloved local tradition. Longtime residents like myself are clued in on the rule: Christmas lights stay up until the National Western Stock Show ends. We’re getting a real Christmas tree this year, so my husband and I will be taking it down right around New Year’s Day, but we plan to leave our festive outdoor decorations up until nearly the end of January!
Every winter, roughly 70,000 visitors travel to Denver for the National Western Stock Show (Jan. 10–25, 2026), a cornerstone of Western culture that features rodeos, horse shows, parades, and livestock competitions. The event dates back to 1906, and over time, Denver developed a unique custom of keeping holiday lights glowing throughout the Stock Show as a sign of hospitality. This year’s Stock Show is a big one. Not only is the event in its 120th year, but a number of new facilities will be making their stock show debut this year as part of a major redevelopment project.
Exactly when the tradition began is a bit unclear, but historians believe it’s deeply rooted in the city’s past.
“Keeping the Christmas lights on through the Stock Show may have been there since the beginning,” Tom Noel, Colorado state historian—also known as Dr. Colorado—and author of “Riding High: Colorado Ranchers and 100 Years of the National Western Stock Show,” told me in an interview.
The tradition is still going strong today. In January, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis even encouraged residents to keep their Christmas lights on a little longer, embracing the spirit of the Stock Show. Here’s what he posted on X last holiday season:
A City That Stays Lit for the Stock Show
Denver businesses also participate. Dairy Block, a downtown microdistrict home to restaurants, shops, and the Maven Hotel, keeps its festive lights up through the duration of the Stock Show. In Castle Rock, which is south of Denver, a 100-bulb star is lit on the Saturday before Thanksgiving at a community celebration and it stays glowing at night until the end of the National Western Stock Show.
According to Noel, illuminated holiday displays in Denver predate the Stock Show itself. Even before 1906, Civic Center Park featured lit Christmas trees and reindeer during the winter months.
A 1955 article in The Steamboat Pilot confirms the longstanding tradition, noting that for at least 12 years prior, Denver intentionally left its Christmas display up during the Stock Show so that “thousands of visitors throughout the nation can view the famous scene in Civic Center.” The only change? Western music replaced Christmas carols over the loudspeakers.
Longhorn cattle make their way through downtown Denver during the National Western Stock Show Parade, a century-old tradition that kicks off the annual Stock Show each January.
(Visit Denver & Evan Semon)
Eventually, residents followed suit—leaving their Christmas lights up through mid-to-late January to welcome visitors who now contribute an estimated $120 million to Denver’s local economy.
“Some have called it tacky, but we do it to share the holiday spirit with our more rural neighbors who come into town for the Stock Show,” says Kosta Skordos, former general manager of Wynkoop Brewing Company, Colorado’s oldest brewpub. “They may not have had much holiday décor around their farms and ranches. When they come to Denver in January, they get to see the whole city in lights.”
Wynkoop sits along the National Western Stock Show Parade route, where downtown Denver streets shut down as Longhorn cattle stroll through the city to officially kick off the event.
How Long Should Christmas Decorations Stay Up?
Of course, opinions on when to take down Christmas decorations vary widely. One guideline many people follow is the 12 Days of Christmas—which, contrary to popular belief, begin on Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and end on Epiphany (Jan. 6). In Christian tradition, this period marks the time between the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the three wise men.
For those who follow this calendar, decorations come down after Jan. 6.
But in Denver, the National Western Stock Show tradition often takes precedence.
Why I Keep My Christmas Lights Up Until Late January
Personally, I love leaving my Christmas lights up through mid-to-late January in honor of the Stock Show. Knowing they’ll stay up longer allows me to savor Thanksgiving and fall decor without rushing into the holidays.
And let’s be honest—January in Denver is cold and dark, and a little extra sparkle goes a long way.
Keeping the lights on isn’t just for Stock Show visitors. It’s a small but meaningful way to brighten winter for locals, too.