Gretchen Edwards, 6, poses for her mother Tina, inside a wooden coffin during Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022, in Nederland. The festival will be in Estes Park this year, and John Cullen, the owner of the Stanley Hotel who bought the festival, is also in negotiations to buy the frozen corpse of Bredo Morstoel to bring it to Estes Park as well. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
One of the Front Range’s quirkiest winter festivals will not be returning in 2023.
Frozen Dead Guy Days in Nederland announced Wednesday that , citing operational hurdles such as event security, increased production costs and a lack of partnership with its host town.
In email correspondence, festival co-owner Sarah Mosely Martin declined to elaborate on the friction between the town and the event.
Founded in 2002, Frozen Dead Guy Days is a weekend-long celebration that honors Bredo Morstoel, a native Norwegian who is cryogenically frozen and remains in Nederland. The annual event, which typically happens in March, includes coffin races, ice sculpting, frozen turkey bowling, a polar plunge, a frozen T-shirt contest and more.
Ice Sculptor Matt Ounsworth of Fort Collins carves a Crane as one of his sculptures during Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022, in Nederland. The 20th Frozen Dead Guy Days is a unique weekend-long festival that honors Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen in a Tuff Shed above the town. Thousands attended during the weekend to take part in iconic coffin races, polar plunge, frozen turkey bowling and brain freeze competitions. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Barb Summers gets ready to throw a turkey at bowling pins as she takes part in frozen turkey bowling during Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022, in Nederland. The 20th Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD) is a unique weekend-long festival that honors Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen in a Tuff Shed above the town. This year's festivities took place March 18-20, 2022. The festival started in 2002 in honor of Morstol. The festival returned after being cancelled the past two years due to the COVD-19 pandemic. Thousands attended during the weekend to take part in iconic coffin races, polar plunge, frozen turkey bowling and brain freeze competitions. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Kaitlin Cordova came dressed for the festivities for Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022 in Nederland. The 20th Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD) is a unique weekend-long festival that honors Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen in a Tuff Shed above the town. This year's festivities took place March 18-20, 2022. The festival started in 2002 in honor of Morstol. The festival returned after being cancelled the past two years due to the COVD-19 pandemic. Thousands attended during the weekend to take part in iconic coffin races, polar plunge, frozen turkey bowling and brain freeze competitions.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Bobby Moakley wears a Frozen Dead Guy Days emblem on his head during Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022 in Nederland. The 20th Frozen Dead Guy Days (FDGD) is a unique weekend-long festival that honors Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen in a Tuff Shed above the town. This year's festivities took place March 18-20, 2022. The festival started in 2002 in honor of Morstol. The festival returned after being cancelled the past two years due to the COVD-19 pandemic. Thousands attended during the weekend to take part in iconic coffin races, polar plunge, frozen turkey bowling and brain freeze competitions.
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Ice Sculptor Matt Ounsworth of Fort Collins carves a Crane as one of his sculptures during Frozen Dead Guy Days on March 20, 2022, in Nederland. The 20th Frozen Dead Guy Days is a unique weekend-long festival that honors Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen in a Tuff Shed above the town. Thousands attended during the weekend to take part in iconic coffin races, polar plunge, frozen turkey bowling and brain freeze competitions. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
The event took a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 — it was canceled days before the March 13-14, 2020, event dates — and returned with much fanfare in early 2022. About 20,000 people attended the most recent Frozen Dead Guy Days, the statement said.
“This has been a really hard decision, but town (sic) put the nail in the coffin when their wrap report stated that they would like to keep the festival in Nederland but refuse to work with the festival’s current owners again and stipulated that Guercio Field could no longer be used,” the announcement said.
In a Facebook post, , stating that while there were many positive aspects of the 2022 festival, the town also had many concerns.
“There were, however, significant challenges that resulted from FDGD not adhering to the plans submitted, discussed and finalized during technical review committee meetings, ultimately creating confusion, disorganization and safety concerns,” town officials said. “These challenge areas included things like communication, mud/snow mitigation plan, parade/event logistics, parking/traffic, safety, security, site plan development, and zero-waste compliance.”
Nederland put off seeding the event’s venue, Guercio Field, for last year’s fest and will be completing that project, the town added, which is why the venue is not available.
Martin declined to comment on whether the festival would return in 2024 or consider moving.
