The Agency family, Malibu locals and countless Hollywood celebs took to the coast Labor Day Weekend to celebrate one of the beach hamlet’s most beloved summer traditions—and unexpectedly cool events—the annual Malibu Chili Cook-Off.
Now in its 37th year, the Cook-Off, hosted by Boys & Girls Club of Malibu (BGCM) and sponsored in part by The Agency’s Paul Lester, Sandro Dazzan and Aileen Comora, is the largest community event in the ‘Bu. The trio sponsored the event alongside Malibu-based designer and builder Scott Gillen, founder of Unvarnished and creator of The New Castle, an unprecedented property in the heart of Malibu— the first of 12 architecturally significant residences to debut in The Malibu Series.
This year’s festivities drew 20,000 attendees—including Julia Roberts, Emma Roberts, Kourtney Kardashian, Orlando Bloom, Adam Sandler, and Gerard Butler—for a full weekend of live music, food, and of course, a heated chili cook-off, which saw everyone from aspiring chefs to seasoned professionals put their favorite recipes to the test.
The festivities kicked off on Friday evening with host Robin Thicke, and featured a flash mob performance organized by Paul Lester and local dance troupe 4 the Village, who sported The Agency t-shirts during their spirited routine. Attendees also enjoyed performances by Cody Simpson & The Tide, Cisco Adler and Scott Russo of Unwritten Law. Local breweries and wineries were on-hand to imbibe, while festival-goers enjoyed food, games, raffles and carnival rides under the stars, all in support of BGCM and various youth-focused non-profits in the community.
View more photos from the flash mob performance below.
