Over 100 Texas longhorn cattle will walk the streets of downtown Denver Thursday during the annual National Western Stock Show Kick-Off Parade.

There will be cattle, horseback riders, cowboys and cowgirls in the parade that starts at Union Station at noon and runs down 17th Street.

The parade will be led by Grand Marshal Rich Karlis, a former Denver Broncos' place-kicker, and features National Western's Citizen of the West honoree Michael J. Sullivan, a former governor of Wyoming.

The 2016 National Western Stock Show opens Saturday. Over the 16-day event there will be nearly 30 professional rodeo performances, horse shows and the livestock shows.

More than 16,000 head of livestock and horses will pass through the grounds with 25 different breeds of cattle and six other species, including goats, lambs, alpaca, lama and poultry. An estimated $10 million in livestock sales will be exchanged during the 16-day event.

This is the 110th year for the National Western Stock Show. See the schedule of events and get tickets on the stock show's website.

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