A new home for Bredo

Victim of its own success, ‘Frozen Dead Guy Fest’ moves to Estes

by Michelle P. Fulcher Colorado Public Radio

Even by Colorado’s standards, Nederland’s famous Frozen Dead Guy Days festival is a weird one. A very weird one.

In fact, Aimee Resnick asked through Colorado Wonders: “I have always wondered about the history of the ‘Frozen Dead Guy Days’ festival. As someone who isn’t from Nederland, it seems crazy to me! Would love to know more.”

For years, thousands of people packed the tiny mountain town north of Boulder annually for the celebration that included, among other things, a hearse parade and coffin races. The streets were crowded with people wearing skeleton costumes and ghoulish makeup.

Well, this year, the festival is moving to Estes Park for the weekend of March 17-19. There’s at least the possibility that the body of its namesake may not be far behind.

But we’re ahead of the story: In real life, the “dead guy” was a Norwegian retiree named Bredo Morstoel, whose beloved grandson, Trygve Bauge, still remembers celebrating Norway’s midsummer holiday with him.

“He was kind. I never heard him angry. I never saw him unjust,” Bauge said.