Chapter 5, The National Western Stock Show Parade.

1-10-2013

Let’s Start out with Happy New Year This being my first post of 2013.

It is the baseball off season which cause’s me to post a lot less since this is a baseball blog. I am not to opinionated about trades and who is released from teams and re-writing stuff I read  in the newspaper the Rockies website or heard from these fabulous Denver news reporter that only think that the Rockies exist on the first week in April and occasionally in  October. I choose to post about thing I experience. Going to game or other baseball related events such as Fan Fest which is usually a very cool precursor to spring training but this year is in July instead of January.

Now onto a event I attend the last 4 years here in Denver and it is also based in  Lodo. Oddly enough they use the parking lot at Coors as their staging area. Which their will be more about in a minute. It is the National Western Stock Show Parade. I went the first year because Todd Helton was the Grand Marshal. I have made it a tradition to take the day off and go every year. This is the third time I have posted about it.

This year as in years passed I arrived in the Lodo Area about an hour before the Parade starts parked on the north side of Park Ave and walked down to the parades starting point at the Corner of 17th and Wynkoop. Along the way passing by the rather Idle Coors field. which always makes me laugh when I pass it when you look in you can still see the starting line up of that game on Sept. 27 that seemed so long ago! from a gate along 20th you can look at the auxiliary score board that still has the out of town games scores and the inning they were in when the Rockies home season ended.

While I was heading down so were the coaches and other groups of horse, Tractor and various other live stock. You know it is stock show time when you get off I 25 head down 22 to park and you get held up because they are moving to tractors from one parking lot to another!!!

Than as I was walking down Wynkoop from in front of the Chop House.

The Wells Fargo Stage Coach making the turn from 19th onto Wynkoop.

A few of the different Rodeo Queens from around the state. Some are Miss Rodeos from different Counties some are from specific Rodeo Events.

Miss Rodeo America Chenae Shiner with Miss Rodeo Colorado Sarah Weins in front of union station.

After hanging around the staging area at 17th and Wazee in front of the Oxford Hotel. It was time for the parade to start and it is always a interesting site to see the long horns make that turn from Wynkoop onto 17th.

This was the first time I was able to get a shot down 17th as they approached.

This was also the closest I had gotten to them. It is kind of interesting to have a animal about the size of a smart car staring at you with horns twice the width of their bodies.

Here is Miss Rodeo America 2013 and Miss Rodeo Colorado along with Miss Rodeo North Dakota Sadie Wardner heading down 17th at Blake. Yes I watched the parade from 17th and Blake can’t stray to far from my familiar environment at 20th and Blake!

Here are the Westerneer’s I always think it is funny that their logo W is similar to the Washington Nationals Logo and we can’t for get Walgreen’s.

As you can see he is supporting his local team the Broncos with his Orange cowboy hat. Right now because of the success of the Broncos this year they are in the playoff and they are having a United in Orange campaign in the state. I still won’t drink the Broncos Kool Aid but it has been an interesting year. all around the city the have signs and different things up I support of them. (more on that later)

Mayor Michael Hancock waving to the crowd

This was a interesting bike rider not sure if it was part of the parade or a left over from a Denver cruisers Wednesday night ride!

This guy showed up a few hundred years to late! It was pretty cool though!

Here are a few tractors heading down the parade route. I think this group is the Colorado Antique Tractor Association or something like that if I remember from years past. Since they are close to the end of the parade I decided to move further down the parade route.

Most of the next bunch of photos are of the same groups since I moved up the route at almost the same speed.

Here is a photo of a rider further up the route. I kind of like the contrast of modern city and the old west horse cowboy/cowgirl thing in one photo. Most of the next photos show the contrast. With different vantage points around Denver.

A look at a riding group down 17th street towards Stout St. Not sure who the group is but I have them in a lot of my photos because I was moving around with them.

This is the same group as they make the turn at 17th and Tremont. with the Brown Palace and Trinity Church in the background.

A cowboy with a few of the buildings that make up the Denver skyline.

The Cavalry saluting.

I than headed down the 16th street mall after the end of the parade headed closer since I already saw it I decided to started heading back along the way I got photos of some of the United in Orange signs.

A giant Broncos jersey hanging in front of the Denver Pavilions with a riding group going down 15th St. on their way back to Coors.

Banners hanging on the light poles on the 16th street mall.

As I was heading down 16th St. I took this shot to 15th St. of horses passing at the end of the alley. I than headed over to 15th street to get some more photos of the horses and groups.

A closer look…

…at horses at the end of the alley.

Crossing the light rail tracks with convention center in background.

This place had all the base’s covered with the Broncos and the Stock Show!

17th street about 45 minutes after the parade went through you can hardly tell anything went on this street.

I than headed to the Coors parking lot to get a different perspective of the Parade, the stadium and the staging area. 83 days till this building is the center of the Denver sports world!!! Can’t wait!

Packing up the Wells Fargo Stagecoach

Another draft team arriving back.

Smile!!!!!

Looking at the parking lot full of trailers from the ramp.

Well that is it for this one. With baseball just in the near future. (Pitchers and catches arrive in about a month to Scottsdale) that’s all I have from the NWSS parade. It was a great day for a parade!!!

For those interested this is how the structure at 24th and Walnut is turning out. You know the one that is screwing up the parking since the lot that was there closed.

For more info on the National Western Stock Show visit their website:  Nationalwestern.com

They can also be followed on twitter.

Well once again that is it for this one waiting patiently for the sweet sound of the crack of the bat and the warmth of spring training.