Hundreds of spectators lined Oak Street in downtown Denton on Saturday in hopes of catching a coffin racing by — or in some cases crashing.
The third annual coffin races are a fixture of Denton’s Day of the Dead Festival, and many would agree they’re a sight to see.
In this take on regular soap-box derby races, teams deck out their coffins-on-wheels to look eerie — with some vehicles sporting bloody skulls or crushed purple velvet lining.
The Seniors in Motion vehicle, “Jokers Wild,” driven by Drew Naizer, took home the coveted Fastest Coffin award after an intense ending to one of the races. Naizer was T-boned by the Geek on Wheels entry, and quickly after the crash his team pushed the cart to the finish line, taking home the afternoon’s top spot.
While out of breath just minutes after the race, Naizer said he was OK and felt “pretty good” steering his coffin most the day.
“I am realizing the competition is starting to grow more competitive as the event begins to grow,” he said.
Naizer said he has taken part in all three years of the races, winning the first year and taking home a “Dead Crazies” trophy last year. He drives his coffin for Seniors in Motion.
“I don’t work for them anymore, but I continue to race for them,” he said. “I have a few things to tweak, and yes, I will be [participating next year].”
Kelley Pound, co-chairwoman for the coffin races, said they are growing more with each year and participants came from all over Denton County.
She said festival organizer David Pierce saw coffin races at an event in Colorado and decided to bring them back to Denton to add to the festival.
Business owner and City Council member Joey Hawkins kicked off races of two coffins at a time with a shotgun start. He said 52 teams signed up to compete this year, but one didn’t show.
“It’s the sixth year for the festival itself and the third year for the races,” Pound said, after watching nearly three hours of coffins race. “We have seen growth — our first year we had 24 coffins, 39 last year, and this year we saw 51 participate.”
Most teams come from area businesses, and one came from Dallas this year, organizers said.
Pound said this year’s Fan Favorite award went to “Oz-some Flyer From Kansas,” sponsored by Access Bank.
Denton’s Day of the Dead Festival also included a children’s area with games, music and entertainment for all ages, and a lantern-lit twilight costume parade.
Denton County resident Brandie Randall said she enjoyed getting dressed up for the occasion — even though the sun was melting away her rhinestone-studded skeletal makeup.
This was Randall’s first year at the festival, and while she enjoyed cheering on “Old But Not Dead” — a coffin raced by people she knew from one of her meet-up groups — she said the 90-degree weather begged for more easily accessible water.
“Other than that, I am having a great time and look forward to coming back,” she said.
MEGAN GRAY-HATFIELD can be reached at 940-566-6885 and via Twitter at @MGrayNews.
