From coffin races to ice sculpture contests, this unique festival is like nothing you’ve ever experienced.
When it comes to local traditions, not many cities have one as mildly morbid as Frozen Dead Guy Days in Estes Park, Colorado. A “quirky” at best festival, this event has grown throughout the years while still staying authentic to what makes it special.
To understand how Frozen Dead Guy Days came to be, you have to understand the history and life of Bredo Morstoel, aka Grandpa Bredo, a backstory that is as unique as it is fascinating. Bredo, originally from Norway, passed away in 1989 due to a heart condition. At the time, his daughter and grandson decided against a traditional burial and instead chose cryonics–the practice of freezing a deceased person at a low temperature in the hopes of restoring them to life in the future. Morstoel’s body was packed with dry ice to preserve it.
His body was then transported from Norway to a cryonics facility in Oakland, California. To continue the preservation of his body, it was then kept in liquid nitrogen for a few years while remaining at the facility. Later, around 1993, he was moved to Nederland, Colorado, where his grandson kept him in a backyard shed on ice for decades, hoping that one day he could be brought back to life.
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Bredo’s frozen state remained a well-kept secret from folks living in Nederland, as well as the city’s officials. When his grandson was deported back to Norway in the early 1990s and his mother evicted from the home, she began to talk around town about her father being stored in the backyard, which piqued everyone’s interest. The rest, as they say, is frozen history.
“Grandfathered In”
When residents discovered that there was a “Frozen Dead Guy” in their town, they embraced this oddity with open arms. However, it should be noted that the city council was not as amused when they discovered the details of the backyard cryonics operation. So much so that the town officials passed a law prohibiting the storage of human remains–but allowed Grandpa Bredo to be literally grandfathered in, so the law didn’t apply to him, and he could remain. Folks in town even stepped up to help keep Bredo preserved, sometimes showing up every couple of weeks to add more dry ice to the shed that he was held in.
Despite not being from Nederland, the residents had such an appreciation for him that they decided to find a way to celebrate his legacy and presence within the town. Frozen Dead Guy Days began as a grassroots celebration to honor Grandpa Bredo’s frozen legacy.
Rachel Opperman, Director of Marketing for Visit Estes Park, said, “The goal was to generate visitation during a slower season, and it was something entirely unique to them.” What began as just a small gathering of locals eventually turned into a larger celebration that spanned days and attracted visitors from near and far.
The festival took place locally in Nederland for more than 20 years, but due to its popularity, it began to outgrow the small town. In 2023, the festival was moved to Estes Park to accommodate more people but still contains the events and activities that make it such a special time.
“The Estes Park Frozen Dead Guy Days has retained the quirky vibe and music festival emphasis of the original festival while bolstering the coffin races and the games and making the event family-friendly,” says Opperman. With its new home, the festival has stayed true to its roots while adding a touch of Estes Park’s unique flair.
What to Expect During Frozen Dead Guy Days
Today, Frozen Dead Guy Days is a three-day extravaganza that blends bizarre competitions, live music, and community spirit.
The festival kicks off with the “Crawl to the Ball,” a lively bar crawl culminating in The Royal Blue Ball, a dance and costume party held at the historic Stanley Hotel. Costumes are not only encouraged but celebrated, making it one of the most colorful nights of the festival. The main event includes the infamous coffin races, where teams dressed in outrageous costumes race through obstacle courses while carrying “dead guys” (or gals) in coffins. The coffin race, an obvious nod to the town’s frozen celebrity, has been one of the most anticipated events year after year and is the type of eccentric activity that you won’t find at other festivals.
If the coffin race isn’t your thing, there are many other things to do and take in during the three days. Visitors can expect live music and fun games from local businesses. There is also a polar plunge that raises money for Estes Park nonprofits. Plungers dress up in quirky costumes before taking the cold plunge, a fun activity for both participants and observers. Festival-goers can also join in on ice sculpture competitions and a Bloody Mary brunch over the weekend.
Why It’s Worth The Chill
What keeps attendees coming back year after year? The festival combines quirkiness, community, and sheer fun. What started out as a local celebration of someone and something unique to its town has expanded into a nationally recognized festival.
“It’s quirky, it’s fun, it’s a little weird, and people totally lean into that and have a blast while doing it,” says Opperman. With the expansion to Estes Park, the festival can continue to grow and attract more visitors. And the festival isn’t the only thing that has relocated. In August of 2023, Grandpa Bredo’s body was moved to The Stanley Hotel’s old ice house in Estes Park, where he was submerged head-first in liquid nitrogen. He remains at the facility, which became the world’s first museum dedicated to the science of cryonics.
Frozen Dead Guy Days is more than just a festival—it’s a celebration of life’s eccentricities and a reminder to embrace the weird and wonderful. Looking to take part in the unique festivities? Frozen Dead Guy Days will take place on the weekend of March 15th in Estes Park, kicking off The Bar Crawl and Ball.
