Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival

Festival Location: Nederland, CO, USA

Festival State: Colorado Festivals

Festival Type(s): Bizarre Festivals, Bizarre Sports Events, Winter Festivals

Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival Media:

Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival

By: © Tara Dodrill 2009

No trip to Colorado would be complete without attending the Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival in Nederland. The first weekend of March is when this wacky festival is held annually. Frozen Dead Guy Days organizers started this end of cold weather ritual on a lark, and unwittingly created a cult following.

Nederlands is a quirky medium size town with a flare for the colorful and eccentric. The tale of the "Frozen Dead Guy" is somewhat of a legend, which prompts scary stories told under the covers by flashlight from Norway to the United States.

A host of unusual events and contests bring those who have been shivering inside from the cold Colorado weather out to have a good time. Coffin races and taking the "Polar Plunge" in a nearby lake are as much fun to watch, as they are to participate in. Musical acts also entertain Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival visitors in between haunting contests and the annual parade.

Festival visitors can warm themselves, and enjoy a frothy pint of ale at the Wild Mountain and Avery "6 Feet Under" beer tent. The tent is located in Chipeta Park, where microbrewers and live music performances are held. Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival souvenirs and unusual gifts can be purchased at Grandpa's Gift shop. The gift shop and a large variety of food vendors are all located near the beer tent in Chipeta Park.

An "Ice Blue Ball" for those 21 and over is always held on the Friday evening of the Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival. During the ball, a grandpa look-a-like and "Ice Queen" contest is held. This event takes place at the Rocky Mountain Honky Tonk, and is definitely an adult themed event. Tickets for the event can be purchased online prior to the festival for about $20. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but the ball capacity and contest fill up quickly. Visitors can purchase tickets by visiting Nederland Chamber of Comerce web site.

Saturday morning through the early afternoon presents and opportunity for teenagers to enjoy the festival, and engage in specially themed age appropriate contests. A festival pancake breakfast is also held on Saturdays, and is a family style environment. All you can eat deliciously fluffy pancakes are available for less than $10 per person. Senior citizen and children receive discounts at the Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival.

The annual parade, polar plunge, and coffin races all take place on Saturday. The "Cryonics" parade is a remarkable sight. Cabin fever may have gotten the better of some of the wacky participants, and their hilariously oddball floats and costumes. The coffin races are definitely the highlight of the parade, with an obstacle course of mud, playground slides, and snowdrifts waiting for contestants near the finish line.

The Frozen Dead Poets Society presents offer unique poems for all age groups to enjoy. Tickets to the poetry contest are just $5 each, with proceeds benefiting the Carousel of Happiness fund. The frozen t-shirt contest offers a quirky twist to the better-known wet t-shirt contest. Contest participants had to crack open and attempt to thaw a t-shirt well enough, and quickly enough to wear.

Grandpa's Pub Crawl is lively nightlife entertainment for the over 21 crowd, with plenty of live music to guide visitors from bar to bar. The final event of the Frozen Dead Guy Days festival is the much-anticipated "Blue Ball" eating contest. Contest participants must swallow as many Rocky Mountain "oysters" as possible for will the $100 prize.

The Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival is a great way to shake off the winter blues, and enjoy the hilariously dark and comic side of life.

by Tara Dodrill

Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival Dates and Location

For more information on the Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival, held every March in Nederland, Colorado, check out the Frozen Dead Guy website.

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Frozen Dead Guy Days Festival Video

Two teams of six, two pretend dead men and two coffins walk into a bar. They don't really but what I've done there is set the scene for the Frozen Dead Guy Days Coffin Race held annually each March in Nederland, Colorado. Check out the vid!