Colorado isn’t just about stunning mountains and outdoor adventures. The Centennial State has a playful side too, showcased in its wacky, wonderful parades.
These events celebrate everything from headless chickens to frozen corpses, bringing communities together with laughter and local pride. Ready to discover some truly offbeat celebrations that make Colorado special?
1. Emma Crawford Coffin Races & Parade
Picture this: teams of costumed pallbearers racing handcrafted coffins down Manitou Avenue while spectators cheer wildly. This macabre celebration honors Emma Crawford, whose coffin washed down Red Mountain during a rainstorm in 1929.
The parade features ghoulish floats, skeleton dancers, and plenty of spooky revelry every October. Kids and adults alike delight in the perfect blend of history, horror, and hilarity.
2. Mike The Headless Chicken Festival Parade
Only in Colorado would folks throw a parade for a decapitated chicken! Mike survived a botched butchering in 1945 and lived headless for 18 months, becoming a traveling sideshow sensation.
Today’s festival includes a “Run Like a Headless Chicken 5K” and parade with chicken-themed floats. Locals don feathered costumes while strutting through downtown Fruita each May, celebrating their bizarre claim to fame.
3. Madam Lou Bunch Day Bed Races & Parade
Honoring Central City’s most famous madam isn’t your typical historical celebration! Lou Bunch earned respect during a tuberculosis outbreak by converting her brothel into a hospital and caring for sick miners.
Today’s festivities include teams racing decorated beds down Main Street while dressed in 1800s attire. The highlight? A rowdy Madams and Miners Ball where locals don Victorian finery and dance the night away.
4. Great Fruitcake Toss Parade
Those dense holiday desserts nobody wants to eat? In Manitou Springs, they become flying projectiles! Since 1995, this January celebration has given unwanted fruitcakes a second chance at glory.
Before the main tossing event, a parade winds through town featuring fruitcake-themed costumes and bizarre launching contraptions. Competitors showcase trebuchets, catapults, and slingshots designed specifically for hurling these holiday leftovers to record distances.
5. Cowboy Downhill Parade
Rodeo meets skiing in this wild January spectacle! Professional cowboys and cowgirls trade their horses for skis, parading through Steamboat in full western regalia before hitting the slopes.
The parade showcases riders twirling lassos from horseback alongside ski patrol members. After strutting through town, these buckaroos tackle slalom courses and ski jumps while still wearing chaps, spurs, and ten-gallon hats, creating spectacular (and often hilarious) wipeouts.
6. Loveland Corn Roast Festival Parade
Sweet corn becomes royalty during this August celebration!
Local high school marching bands perform while farmers showcase decorated tractors. The real stars? Massive roasters grilling thousands of corn ears along the route, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma that has spectators lined up for buttery treats.
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