Empire Frog Rodeo

    
    

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The Empire Frog Rodeo is on! And there are some exciting new events and changes for the day.  Most important - racers can reserve their frogs.  Just go to the web page empirefrogrodeo.com and sign up. It is not necessary to sign up before the event, but this ensures your racer has a frog.  Last year’s event was so successful that we wanted to be sure each child has an opportunity to race.  So sign up!

    The races start at HIGH NOON and are organized by age group so that the littlest racer can compete fairly. 

    So come join the fun and celebrate a great tradition.  It starts at 10:30am with a typical mountain parade which can mean floats, your favorite vehicle, bicycle, costume or theme group.  All parade entries get free entry into the fair.   Anyone who wants to join the parade please contact Jen at 303-569-2978 (town hall) or go to the web site.  Spectators need to line the sidewalks of Highway 40 in the middle of Empire for the parade at 10:30am.

    The fair festivities begin at 11:00am in Minton Park and include dunk tanks, bouncy castles, games and arts and crafts, live music and the signature event - the frog rodeo itself at high noon.  The 4-H Club will host an Archery event.  The music will be provided by Delicious Point.  Summer picnic food and beer and baked goods will be on sale. 

    NO dogs will be allowed at the event.

    Interested in participating as a vendor?  Contact Jen at the town hall or go to the web site for info.

    Reptillian Paradise from Denver will be selling frogs and water bottles to urge frogs across a small race-course. Prizes will be awarded for each race.  Reptillian Paradise will also have available for purchase kits for the care of your amphib racer and some possible interesting reptiles on display.  Speed Bump will be back this year!

    Overall, this year's Frog Rodeo and fair promises to be an outstanding family event and fun for kids of all ages.   Hope to see you in Empire, Colorado, about 50 miles west of Denver.   Take I-70 West to exit 232 toward U.S. 40/Empire. Merge right onto U.S. 40. Fair will be held in Minton Park in Empire.  On-site parking available.

Frozen Dead Guy Days.

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FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS

The Mountain Neighbor is Colorado’s best source of unlimited Colorado classifieds, local events, humor, local weather and featured articles since 1999. This useful source gives you the convenience of having all of Colorado’s huge happenings available at your fingertips. 

Everything their readers have loved about the print version is now “The New Mountain Neighbor” available on your computer, iPhone, tablet or any  mobile device. Easily keep up with what’s going on in the Colorado Mountain Area because there are many festivals, such as the Frozen Dead Guy Days, that you surely don’t want to miss!

Frozen Dead Guy Days is the biggest party of the year, which is a fun-filled celebration in tribute to Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, the “Frozen Dead Guy” that captured international attention and sparked this annual festival in Nederland, Colorado. Grandpa Bredo died in 1989 and has been kept frozen in a cryonics facility for over 20 years waiting the day when science advances enough to bring him back to life! Every year people come from around the world to have a drink with Colorado’s best-known corpse. He will soon be 109 years old and you can guarantee that he will NEVER celebrate alone. Frozen Dead Guy Days is a weekend-long party that takes over the town the first weekend in March each year. At this annual festival you will enjoy plenty of music, food, drinks, a polar bear plunge, and numerous competitive challenges such as the coffin races. In 2007, Frozen DeadGuy Days was named by Chicago Tribune as one of the country's top 100 festivals not to be missed. In 2010, the New York Times named FDGD in its Top 10 Best Parties of the Winter, alongside Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. It is definitely an experience of a lifetime.

To find out more about Frozen Dead Guy Days check The Mountain Neighbors online magazine where you can find videos, articles and more! The Mountain Neighbor keeps you in-the-know about all the festivities in the Colorado Mountain Area including free classified ads, great humor and all the big bargains to keep life interesting at an affordable budget.

Frozen Dead Guy Days

FROZEN DEAD GUY DAYS

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This fun-filled festival is a celebration in March dedicated to the legacy of Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, the "Frozen Dead Guy" that captured international attention and sparked this annual festival that takes place in Nederland Colorado. 

There are plenty of creative contests and icy events including: frozen salmon tossing, polar plunging and coffin races. Enjoy the entertaining events, amazing live music, delicious food, and much more at the 13th Annual Frozen Dead Guy Days. To learn about the entire story of Grandpa Bredo and everything about Frozen Dead Guy Days, visit mtnneighbor.com.

Nederland Colorado

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Nederland Colorado is a picturesque mountain town nestled 17 miles west of Boulder, 20 miles north of Black- hawk and 41 miles south of Estes Park along the Peak to Peak Highway in the Rocky Mountains. We are a Town of roughly 1500 people, but our surrounding population boosts us to about 5000 “locals.” At an altitude of 8230 feet above sea level, we are nearly 3000 feet higher than Denver, which keeps us approximately ten degrees cooler than Boulder, our neighbor “down below,” so bring that extra sweater!

As the “Gateway to the Indian Peaks,” our community has some of the best and most varied outdoor recreation in Colorado. Eldora Mountain Ski Resort is just minutes outside of Town, and we have both an Olympic-sized outdoor ice and tennis park for seasonal fun within walking distance of Town. When you’re at the ice rink, be sure to check out Nederland Youth Hockey or even take a turn at curling. Skateboarders can get some air at our skatepark, and kids of all ages will delight in our Carousel of Happiness.

The Peak to Peak Community also boasts a vibrant arts and music scene, as well as a rich musical history based around the Caribou Ranch recording studio. On almost any given night, local, regional, and nationally-known bands can be found playing at our bars and pubs or at one of our summertime festivals.

Speaking of festivals, our little Town plays host to multiple special events throughout the year, with something fun for everyone, including:

You won’t want to miss Frozen Dead Guy Days, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Grandpa Bredo Morstoel, who is cryogenically frozen and cared for in a Tuff Shed on private property in Town, awaiting the day when sci- ence can re-animate him and cure him of the heart disease that killed him in 1989. FDGD is a weekend-long party that takes over Town the first weekend in March each year. Our biggest party of the year offers up music, food, a polar bear plunge, and lots of competitive challenges like the coffin races. In 2010, the New York Times named FDGD in its Top 10 Best Parties of the Winter, alongside Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Come join us for a weekend you’ll never forget!

The High Peaks Art Festival gets the summer in full swing in Nederland in late June. This free festival has something for the whole family, including art workshops for the children, juried art shows, live music by local bands and musicians, and food provided by local restaurants. Not one to be missed!
The 4th of July in Nederland is truly special. Come join us for a slice of old-fashioned, wholesome Americana. The day kicks off with a parade down First Street, continues with music in Chipeta Park, and is capped off by a dazzling fireworks display above Barker Reservoir. If you’re tired of fighting the crowds and the traffic this July 4th, come on up to Nederland and remember how America’s birthday was supposed to be celebrated!

Nederland’s mining history is captured and re-lived in our annual Miner’s Days celebration, held every July. This free, family-friendly event offers up an “Old Timer’s Parade” on Saturday, and all kinds of events through- out the weekend, including craft and food vendors, mining demonstrations, old-fashioned miner competitions on Sunday (with prize money!), and special events for the kids. While you’re in Town, be sure to stop in the Min- ing Museum to see the fascinating mining artifacts and learn a little bit about Nederland’s rich mining history.

Vintage car buffs get their day in Nederland’s sun with the Hotrods and Classics in the High Country event, held on a Saturday in July each year. This event features music, food, and free giveaways, along with trophies awarded based on votes by the publis and votes by the Front Range Hot Heads Car Club.

NedFest is one of Colorado’s biggest musical festivals. During the last weekend in August, more than a dozen bands converge on Nederland and fill the valley with music against the gorgeous backdrop of Barker reservoir and our Ponderosa Pine-covered mountains. Tickets are required for entrance to NedFest, so buy early to in- sure your chance to participate.

Runners won’t want to miss the Neder-Nederland Race held every September. With 5K and 10K options, this race is a truly special opportunity to experience a high-altitude run through our beautiful Town and valley, culminating in a post-race party with food, drinks, and entertainment. Registration for the race is required, and participation can count toward qualification for the Bolder Boulder.
Windfest is a chance for kids of all ages to indulge their love of kites! Held in September each year, this free festival features the chance to fly your kites or even to make a new one at one of the kite-making tables.

When it’s time for some holiday shopping, don’t forget to visit the Holiday Mountain Market, held the first weekend in December at the Nederland Community Center. Local artisans and craftspeople work all year on amazing gifts of all sorts. Our annual arts and crafts festival features local mountain artists, unique gifts, festive food, a silent auction, holiday music and photos with Santa. No need to fight the mall traffic down below; just stop by the Market and for everything you’ll need for a festive and warm holiday season!

While you’re in Town, be sure to take a stroll through our downtown. Time moves slowly in Nederland, so take the chance in slow down, poke around in our shops, and enjoy a wholesome meal or two in our restaurants and pubs. Meander along Boulder Creek to Chipeta Park or cast your line in Barker Reservoir. More serious hikers and bikers will find all sorts of trails and paths through the Mud Lake Recreation Area and the National Forests that surround our Town. Wrap up the day with an ice cream or hot cocoa at Buffalo Bill’s Train Cars where, in the summer, you can watch family movies under the stars. When your time in Nederland is done, however you’ve chosen to spend it, we’re certain you’ll agree – life’s better up here! 

This scenic mountain town, located 17 miles west of Boulder, is the gateway to the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. There are many recreational, historical, dining and retail opportunities that await the Colorado visitor.

Nederland began its history as the mill site for silver ore from the rich mines at Caribou (now a ghost town five miles away), and during World War I, for tungsten ore from surrounding mines. Today it is better known as a stop on the way to outdoor recreation in the nearby Indian Peaks and the James Peak wilderness areas, as well as a center for shopping and dining along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.

It is also a base camp for Eldora Mountain Resort, just five miles away. Eldora is great for family skiing, with opportunities for snow boarding, as well as Nordic and alpine skiing. Backcountry snowshoeing and cross-coun- try skiing are outstanding during the winter on the hiking trails.

There are many opportunities for stream and lake fishing, mountain biking and camping, as well as day hikes and driving tours in the area. At the end of the day, visitors will find a comfortable motel room and a surpris- ingly wide variety of fine restaurants. Many restaurants and coffee houses feature live music on the weekends. Shoppers will find clothing, antiques, jewelry, gifts, new and used books, outdoor and fishing supplies, as well as a full-service hardware store, pharmacy, florist, groceries and other retail services.

The Nederland Area Historical Society’s Mining Museum shows visitors what life was like for miners and their families at the turn of the century. The Nederland Community Library is an excellent source of local history materials and free Internet access.

The visitor center in the heart of town has complete information about nearby state and national parks, places to stay and eat, maps of the area, hiking destinations, campgrounds and wilderness area regulations and local events — some, like the Frozen Dead Guy Days, are notorious.