Manitou Springs, Colorado: Emma Crawford Coffin Race and Parade
An annual event honors long-dead Emma Crawford by racing coffins down main street, each occupied by a living "Emma."
- Address:
- Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, CO
- Directions:
- The race takes place downtown, on US Hwy 24/Manitou Ave.
- Hours:
- One day a year, last Sa before Halloween. Local health policies may affect hours and access.
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Every year the Saturday before Halloween, Manitou Springs has the Emma Crawford Coffin Race and Parade. We've been going to the races for four years now and it's so much fun! They start with a parade of hearses and other unusual vehicles. Once that is done, then they have all 50 teams participating in the coffin race. Four team members push each coffin while one Emma rides in each coffin.
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The race course on Manitou Avenue is only 600 feet long, and the winners get to the finish line in under 30 seconds. Emma Crawford insisted that she be buried atop Red Mountain when she died in 1890, so her coffin had to be hauled by teams of men. That's where the idea of a coffin pushed by teams of people got started.