Frozen Dead Guy Days will take place in Estes Park March 17-19, 2023
One of Colorado’s most beloved annual events for more than 20 years, – Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD),, is kicking off a new chapter in Estes Park. The reborn Frozen Dead Guy Days, taking place over St. Patrick’s Day weekend on March 17-19, 2023, will feature live music and entertainment all weekend long. It will be held at the Estes Park Events Complex and The Stanley Hotel, with satellite events occurring around town. Festival goers can expect the weird and wonderful happenings from years past, including coffin races and a polar plunge, as well as plenty of new and elevated Estes twists, like a deadman fashion show, roaming freak show acts, a Bands & Bloodys Sunday Brunch and more.
Proceeds from the event will go toward funding workforce housing and childcare solutions in Estes Park. Visit Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel have committed to donating all proceeds from ticket sales that surpass operational costs to the area’s recently established workforce housing and childcare funding mechanism.
“We’re very excited to give new life to this iconic Colorado festival, while maintaining its quirky vibe,” says Kara Franker, CEO of Visit Estes Park. “Estes is built for events like this as we have the right venues and infrastructure to suit the festival’s size. Additionally, it will support the town during a slower season and ultimately give a boost to workforce housing and childcare.”
For the uninitiated, Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates an unusual turn of events that brought the frozen body of a deceased Norwegian man to a Tuff Shed in Nederland, Colorado. Bredo Morstøl, or Grandpa Bredo, as Frozen Dead Guy Days devotees fondly refer to him, passed away in 1989, but his family cryogenically froze his body and shipped it to the U.S. Over the next decade, his legend grew amongst Nederland residents, and a winter festival was born to pay tribute to Grandpa Bredo with quirky events and activities. It caught on in a big way; and by 2022, Frozen Dead Guy Days attracted approximately 20,000 attendees.
“Frozen Dead Guy Days is going to be a fundamental shift for Estes Park,” says John Cullen, owner and CEO of The Stanley Hotel. “Together, we’re going to create a winter festival playground and we are proud to have The Stanley be the host hotel for it.”
Through the vision of the new FDGD executive team, Visit Estes Park and The Stanley Hotel, plans are underway to make the inaugural Estes Park Frozen Dead Guy Days the most fun yet. Specific dates and times will be announced soon, but attendees can expect:
● Live Music and Entertainment – An exciting line-up of talented artists, both local and national, will be released soon.
● The Blue Ball – This iconic FDGD event will be held at the historic Stanley Hotel and will feature live music, dancing, DJs and more.
● Coffin Races – Teams of “pallbearers” will race head-to-head, through a course full of obstacles, mud, snow, and drills in a grandstand setting.
● Irish Wake – Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Frozen Dead Guy Days style, and toast to Grandpa Bredo all night long.
● Brain Freeze Contest – Eat your heart out with the area’s best local ice cream.
● Deadman Fashion Show – Come dressed in your finest “dead guy” duds to win prizes and mingle with your fellow attendees.
● Bands & Bloodys Sunday Brunch – Close out the frigidly fun weekend with live music and themed brunch menus at restaurants around town.
● Local Beers and Spirits – All beers and spirits served at the festival will be local to Colorado, including the official FDGD beer brewed by Lumpy Ridge Brewing Company, Estes Park.
Tickets for Frozen Dead Guy Days will go on sale in late January 2023.
