Emma Crawford would probably be surprised if she could see the festival held in her name every year. Ms. Crawford came to Manitou Springs, Colo., to seek a cure for her tuberculosis in the healing springs of the area. She passed away in 1891, and her final wish was to be buried on the top of Red Mountain. Her request was honored, but a storm washed the casket back down into town in 1929. Legend says that Crawford’s ghost now wanders the mountain.
Most towns would have simply reburied the casket and forgotten the incident, but Manitou Springs isn’t most towns. In the spirit of Halloween, Manitou holds an annual Emma Crawford Festival, complete with coffin races. Fifty different teams will compete Oct. 25, rolling coffins decked out as hotrods, pirate ships and more. Each team is comprised of four “mourners” who push the coffin in a bid for first place, and one “Emma,” who rides inside.
The race began in the ‘90s and now draws thousands of spectators. Admission to the event is free. Visitors can learn more about the creepier side of Colorado history at the Onaledge Bed and Breakfast, which is rumored to be haunted, or with Blue Moon Haunted History Tours.
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