Law enforcement agencies across the Santa Clarita Valley are gearing up for the return of the Boots & Badges Chili Cook-Off, a family-friendly fundraiser set for October 10 at the Jack Bones Equestrian Center in Castaic. The event runs from 10 am to 4 pm and will feature chili tasting, live music, a beer garden, craft vendors, a kids zone, and displays from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, with proceeds benefiting Special Olympics athletes.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station, attendees can purchase tasting cards and vote for their favorite chili among the competing booths. The station lists chili tasting tickets at $20, though Santa Clarita Magazine has advertised adult tasting cards at $10 with children under five admitted free — a discrepancy attendees may want to sort out before heading to Castaic. Proceeds from the cook-off directly benefit Special Olympics Southern California athletes in the Santa Clarita Valley and Tri-Valley regions, per the magazine's reporting.
A Venue Steeped in Sheriff's Department History
The cook-off takes place at 26983 Tapia Canyon Road, home to the Jack Bones Equestrian Center, which serves as the base for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Mounted Reserve Posse and was named after local rancher Jack Bones Sr., according to SCVHistory.com. The equestrian center sits on the grounds of the sprawling Pitchess Detention Center, a 2,620-acre complex that opened in 1938 as California's first honor farm — once nicknamed the “Wayside Drunk Farm” — where inmates worked the land until farming ended there in 1992. SCVHistory.com notes Pitchess is now LA County's largest jail complex, holding roughly 8,600 inmates across four correctional facilities.
Beyond hosting fundraisers, the equestrian center doubles as a community gathering spot for the Sheriff's Department, having previously hosted the “Bones' Gulch” haunted attraction, as reported by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. The Boots & Badges Chili Cook-Off itself grew out of the long-running Fun in the Sun Chili Cook-Off, an annual event at the same Castaic venue that historically drew more than 25 competing chili booths, the Signal reported in 2018.
Part of a Larger Law Enforcement Fundraising Network
The Castaic event connects to a much broader push by law enforcement agencies to fund Special Olympics programming across the region. The Southern California Law Enforcement Torch Run raised $1.3 million in 2025 alone, with more than 200 participating agencies taking part, according to the Beverly Press & Park Labrea News. More than 3,000 law enforcement officers across Southern California serve as active partners and guardians for Special Olympics, supporting year-round athletic programs offered at no cost to participants, per a report from CBS Los Angeles.
Special Olympics Southern California organizes its programming through a five-region administrative model designed to deliver sports training and community inclusion throughout the region, the organization has said. That structure supports ongoing local activity in Santa Clarita, which regularly hosts Special Olympics Southern California competitions including basketball and bocce tournaments that rely heavily on community volunteers aged 14 and older.
For those planning to attend the Boots & Badges Chili Cook-Off, more information and tickets are available through Special Olympics Southern California's website. Organizers are encouraging residents to come out, sample chili from competing booths, and support athletes from the Santa Clarita Valley and Tri-Valley regions who benefit from the event's proceeds.
