Local Brief
Frozen Dead Guy Days returns with wacky fun
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The Dead Hippies compete at the Frozen Dead Guy Days in Estes Park in March 2023. Photo: Jason Connolly/AFP
Frozen Dead Guy Days, a wacky Colorado tradition celebrating the legendary "Grandpa Bredo," kicks off its fourth year in Estes Park later this month.
Why it matters: Frozen Dead Guy Days leans into its offbeat reputation — blending costumes, endurance events and community gatherings into a uniquely Colorado winter festival.
What to expect: This year's Frozen Dead Guy Days will take place from March 27-29 at various locations around Estes Park.
- 🍺 Bar Crawl: The weekend kicks off with a town-wide celebration at multiple bars throughout Estes Park. Expect themed drinks, creative costumes and a lively winter atmosphere. Free shuttles will be available.
- ⚰️ Coffin Races: The signature event of Frozen Dead Guy Days and the ultimate tribute to its namesake. Seven people, six pallbearers and a "corpse" team up and don their best costumes as they race around a course and try to compete in team challenges.
- 🪩 Royal Blue Ball: The festival kicks off with a high-energy dance party and costume contest at the Stanley Hotel's Concert Hall from 8–11 pm on Friday. Expect DJ Mack and a costume showdown.
- 🏃 Cannibal Chase 8K: A fast, quirky race through Estes Park known for wild costumes and big crowd energy — as much spectacle as competition.
- 🥶 Polar Plunge: Participants dive into icy water at the Stanley Hotel on Sunday for charity, with DJ music, hot showers and regret. So much regret.
- 🥂 Bands & Bloodys Brunch: The weekend winds down on Sunday with live local music, brunch and drinks across Estes Park, offering a relaxed, social finish to the festivities.
If you go: General festival tickets for Saturday start at $55 and include Coffin Race viewing, games and live bands on multiple stages.
- Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The festival will take place rain, snow or shine.
- Tickets to individual weekend events are available. Lodging packages are also available.
Context: Frozen Deady Guy Days started in 2002 in honor of Bredo Morstøl, who died in 1989 and was kept frozen in a cryogenic storage shed in Nederland.
- But tensions between the festival organizers and the town of Nederland led to Frozen Dead Guy Days relocating to Estes Park in 2023, and the frozen dead guy himself followed soon after.
What's next: Grandpa Bredo continues to sit on ice as he awaits the technology to bring him back.
- Until then, we drink, party and don silly costumes in his honor.