No-Go Stock Show Sanctuary Tour

The No-Go Stock Show and Chili Cook Off Where love and life are never for sale. Saturday, January 10 • 12:00–2 p.m. Just down the road from the National Western Complex While the National Western Stock Show celebrates the buying and selling of animals, we’ll gather just minutes down the road to celebrate their lives. Our No-Go Stock Show is a gentle alternative—a living invitation to experience connection instead of commerce. Here, every face you’ll meet was once destined for the very industries the Stock Show represents: dairy calves discarded as “byproducts,” goats rescued from meat lots, donkeys once used for roping practice, sheep from fiber farms, and chickens abandoned when their usefulness ran out. But here, they are not “livestock.” They are individuals—treasured friends who know safety, warmth, and love. Broken Shovels was founded by former farmers who chose a different path: to offer refuge, not profit; care, not use. We host this annual event each January to offer an alternative—a chance for visitors to meet animals as someone, not something. When you visit, you’ll meet rescued cows who lean in for kisses, pigs who sunbathe together, goats who nuzzle your hands, and chickens who follow you for affection, not feed. Each one a life once destined to be forgotten—and now, a story of healing. At 12::00, we’ll begin with a moment of silence for all animals still suffering in arenas, auctions, and transport trucks. Then, we’ll open our barns and hearts for visitors to meet the residents who remind us what compassion looks like when no one is for sale. As you meet the residents, we invite you to pause—just for a moment—and consider how it feels to see these animals alive, safe, and happy. Does your heart feel lighter knowing they are loved? Or heavier imagining them as products on a plate? What does your heart tell you? And this year, we’ve adding something special: The First Annual Plant-Based Chili Cook-Off Taste your way through rich, flavorful, and creative chilis crafted by some of Denver’s best chefs—all completely plant-based. Guests will sample, savor, and vote for their favorite, celebrating the abundance of compassionate cuisine that proves kindness tastes incredible. We don’t ask you to reject tradition—only to imagine what a kinder one could look like. Come experience The No-Go Stock Show, where connection replaces commerce, and every life has value beyond what it can sell for.