News - Local
The 15th annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races over the weekend
Posted: Oct 25, 2009 8:09 AM by Jamie Smith
Updated: Oct 25, 2009 8:09 AM
Saturday, Halloween came early in Manitou Springs, it was the 15th annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races. We had our News First 5 photojournalist Jessica Michaels visit the spooky tradition.
Teams of 4 raced their homemade coffins up Manitou Avenue, with Emma inside. There were a record of 48 coffins that raced this year. The first place winner, with a time of 24.8 seconds, was the Crystal Hillbillies.
The historical story says that Emma Crawford came to Manitou Springs in the 1800's. When she died, she was buried in the mountain above the city. After a harsh winter, the land had eroded, and Emma's coffin slid down the mountain into Manitou Springs.
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