Frozen Dead Guy Days

The Frozen Dead Guy Days festival is as equally strange as it is unique. Held in the small town of Nederland, Colorado, just west of Boulder, this festivity is exactly what it sounds like: a celebration of a frozen dead guy. Nederland is a distinctive town already with its small population, yet noteworthy cultural scene. Dead Guy Days is a fun look at the town’s not-quite-normal history. Before you head out to Nederland for the festival, here’s a little history about what you’re getting yourself into.

In 1989, a mother and son moved to the United States to explore the possibilities of a cryogenic lab. They brought one strange artifact with them: the dead father. With the hopes of keeping him cryogenically frozen, they began their research on how to do so. The son overstayed his visa and ended up being deported. The mother, not knowing what to do, moved to Nederland and kept the body frozen on dry ice in the shack she was living in. In 1994, the town discovered her little secret and tried to get rid of the body. Long story short – she didn’t, and the body remains in a Tuff Shed made specifically to keep cold. Nowadays, the town even employs a someone to transport the dry ice.

The famous Dead Guy’s name is Bredo Morstoel. At this point in time, his name isn’t as well known, as everyone refers to him as the “Frozen Dead Guy”.  Every March, Nederland holds the festival in Morstoel’s honor with some interesting (to say the least) sports to watch. It is a spectacle to behold, with everything from a polar bear plunge to turkey bowling, and even coffin races. If sports don’t suit you, there is plenty of live music throughout the weekend.

The three-day festival is held over a weekend in the spring and attracts many to the small town of Nederland.  The town of Boulder has even invented an ice cream flavor specifically for the event – complete with crushed Oreos. Each day, there is a movie shown called “Grandpa’s in the Tuff Shed”. Some attendees get as festive as dressing up for the occasion: the man himself, Bredo, is a popular costume… or his “ice princess”.  There’s a contest every year for who comes out with the best attire.  The majority of events held for the festival are costume mandatory for the candidates, which makes them even more fun to attend.

If this Frozen Dead Guys doesn’t sound up your alley, head south to Idaho Springs and catch the beginning of our zipline season on the cliffside, or test your ability on the via ferrata tour. For more information on adventures with AVA, give us a call at 877-RAFTING.  If you want to hear about more Colorado events, stay tuned to our blogs!  We plan to continuously fill our readers in on insider tips for the best hangouts in the state!

*Featured image courtesy of Photography Central.