The Annual Coffin Races – Manitou Springs, CO – 2009

It’s that time of the year, when Coloradians come out of the nooks and crannies to join for the annual Manitou springs coffin Race. Horrornews.net was there to capture a bit of the festivities and show ya that Colorado knows how to party for Halloween. The gathering which blocks off most of downtown Manitou Springs, races coffins down the street 2 at a time. Before that, we get a parade of ghouls, creeps, hearses and Halloweeny oddities. It’s a pretty good time and of course its free to the public. If anything it gives you a reason to visit this time of the year.

This year Discovery channel was on site to film so I’m guessing that will show on the channels this week sometime. Why the coffin races? good question. Well there is actually a legend that goes along with the celebration. Here is a blurb borrowed from “peak radar”

Emma Crawford lived in Manitou Springs at the turn of the century, arriving with the hopes that the famous drinking Mineral Springs would help with a cure for her tuberculosis. Sadly, in the summer of 1890 Emma died quite young, just before she was to marry Mr. Hildebrand, an engineer on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Her wishes were to be laid to rest on top of Red Mountain. Her heartbroken fiance and eleven other men began the arduous task her carrying Emma’s coffin up to the top of Red Mountain. It took them all day, working two shifts to scale the 7200 foot Summit. In 1929, after years of stormy weather on the granite mountain the granite gave way and Emma’s remains were washed down the side of Red Mountain. Emma was later buried in the Manitou Springs Cemetery in an unmarked grave. An official grave site was granted to her in 2004 to honor her life. Now every year in late October, Manitou Springs remembers this beautiful young woman who loved her town and her Red Mountain with this unique festival.

So there ya go, here’s a few pics and remember to mark this one down on your calendar for next year!

ADDITIONAL LINK FOR THE COFFIN RACES