Chili Cookoff, a Winter Classic, Returns March 1st

YUBA PASS — This coming Saturday, March 1st, will feature the Great Yuba Pass Chili Cook-off. As ever, you register by showing up. There is no entry fee and no rules. If you say it is chili, it is. The event takes place at the Sno Park at Yuba Pass on Highway 49. Bring your own heat, tasting cups, utensils, etc., as there are no amenities offered. The shin dig begins whenever you show up. Judging usually begins at noonish sharpish.

NOTE: the above has been fact-checked and verified. That luxury stops at the period ending this sentence. The remaining is likely true, but given the nature of the event, it need not be subject to the harsh realities of searches for “truth.”

It must be noted the original participants, lo, these decades ago, were remarkably prescient. They anticipated the current federal executive department, immediately banning any rules. Further, they demanded judges prone to corruption and immediately began bribing them. The result offers something to everyone: Republicans can feel right at home, having long ago disposed of following the law or telling the truth. Democrats can have a bit of guilty pleasure in a venue, not of their design but full of libertarian delight.

We backslidden Baptist anarchists, always wary of cabals seeking power, will feel no threats. There are no rules. An ongoing problem with bribable judges is they don’t tend to stay bought. We recall the late judge Reg Littrell, judging at the first cook-off. We tendered him a bowl of our best, with a dollar bill conspicuous under the bowl.

“It’s a little light, don’t you think?” Judge Littrell opined of our culinary delight, casting his vote for the late Jimmy Jansen’s number 10 can of Stagg Chili with a little course ground burger added.

Those were the days when “chili” was thought to be only Texas Red. Eventually, the predominately honky participants discovered green chili, “chili Verdi” was a legitimate offering.

And the huddled masses, yearning to be fed, will get free chili. This will be seen, by some, as socialism. Others will see it as haughty, elitist charity. It will be, to those attending, free lunch.

But otherwise, it is all lies. Loyalton’s Andy White, who we will begrudgingly admit does occasionally make a good pot of chili, claims to have a belt buckle proclaiming he has won the contest some 45 years running. This is simply not true. Andy won that buckle at some bull riding contest, and reworked it to be about chili.

And, for the record, Don Russell won the 2025 Great Yuba Pass Chili Cook-off with his Green New Deal Crackpot Chili. And good, high-rent, potable bribes.