On October 27th, Manitou Springs Coffin Races took place down Manitou Ave. The Coffin Races all started with the story of Emma Crawford.

Crawford came to Colorado about one hundred years ago looking for a cure for her tuberculosis. After she died, she was buried on the top of Red Mountain. After a storm, however, her coffin tumbled down the mountain. To honor her, Manitou made the annual Coffin Races, where the racers push their decorated coffin up the hill with their very own “Emma Crawford” inside. From Beatle Juice to Bay Watch, all of the coffins are uniquely themed and that’s what makes the race so much fun. Five people are required to participate; four on the corners pushing the coffin, and of course, “Emma Crawford” who rides inside. The three winners are determined by the fastest times. As people that live in Manitou know, townspeople celebrate the rich history with events such as this.

All the way from Louisiana, Weatherly Hall (9) moved to Manitou Springs this year. As this was her third year attending the races, she favors Manitou Springs’ traditions over her hometown’s. Hall is also looking forward to furthering traditions and learning more about her new town: Manitou Springs. “I think that [Manitou’s] a really cultural place I love how they incorporate their history into these fun events.”

Having the weather in the mid-seventies put the day to a good start and made the races enjoyable. “Seeing everyone have fun makes it fun,” Celeste Morales (9). Having moved here from Texas, Morales also prefers Manitou. Even though people fell and crashed, they laughed and made good memories too.

Natalija Budzane (10) is a foreign exchange student that came from Latvia. Having lived there her entire life, never really celebrating Halloween, Budzane is looking forward to participating in Manitou’s traditions. Just getting here a few weeks before school, she put any events coming up in her calendar so she could become more involved in her new town. But she did more than watch the races; she helped create them. She made sure that each coffin was correctly built. She helped people get the start line in the correct order and kept the race smooth.