Cowboys, line dancing, and peach cobbler were among the many things attendees could enjoy at William S. Hart Park this past weekend for the much-anticipated 28th annual Cowboy Festival hosted by the city of Santa Clarita.
Hart Park was transformed into the Old West with fun for all ages including country music, farm animals, and rich history during the free celebration aimed to highlight the essence of cowboy life and Western culture.
When entering the main doors of the Cowboy Festival, hundreds of people were transported to the late 1800s with a fully functioning chuckwagon on display, men in cowboy and buffalo soldier attire interacting with attendees and educating them about what life was like during that time.
The New Buffalo Soldiers brought their horses to the celebration and educated people about the contributions Black men made on the American West frontier.

New Buffalo Soldiers President August Simien and members of the organization wore Union Army uniforms from the 1880s made of wool and described as very “hot” by Simien. Despite the hot weather on Sunday, they all committed to the role and gave live demonstrations to attendees of the different weapons and the value of horses during the Civil War. They also had tents on display to showcase how soldiers slept and the minimal tools they used to survive.
“They’re replicas of weapons that were actually used in the military,” he said.
One of the replicas included an 1861 Spencer Carbine rifle, replicating one that Abraham Lincoln himself test-fired during the testing period, said Simien.
Originally from Louisiana, Simien “grew up in an environment that didn’t necessarily give Black history a shining light,” he said. When he moved to California the first thing he did was learn all the history that he didn’t learn in high school. He learned about the significant roles Black men played during the time and was fascinated.


“There were 200,000 negroes that fought during the Civil War,” he said. “It’s important that the world knows … our purpose is educating.”
Larry Thornton, a member of the organization, had young learners eager to touch the large horses and feed them apple slices.
Thornton told the attendees that horses at the time were more valuable than soldiers due to the multiple roles and tasks they could accomplish. The large animals were used for transportation, packing supplies, and communications, and were also taught how to kick and strike, making them a weapon themselves.
“I think it’s very interesting that they’re sharing history about something I never really thought about. I was taught more of the general information like soldiers, guns, fighting, but never how important the horses were and the things they did,” said attendee Jennifer Stanley.


Not too far away stood a large chuckwagon built and preserved since 1910. The vehicle has been kept in its mint condition and only coated with boiled linseed oil to preserve the wood, said owner Bill Schonhorst. The multipurpose vehicle is still fully functioning.
During the Cowboy Festival, Schonhorst and Randy Hoskins, the previous owner of the chuckwagon were sharing with attendees how such a vehicle was used on the road and the meals made.
“I try to stay authentic. Pinto beans and rice, I make sourdough biscuits in the Dutch oven. I try to keep the whole thing going like it was back in the day, as authentic as I can keep it,” said Schonhorst.
“Charles Goodnight was the first to develop the chuckbox and he turned it into putting it on a military wagon and fed the cowboys on the range, at the ranches, at the roundup,” said Hoskins.


The theme of the festival fell perfectly in place and the rescued chickens, rabbits, pigs, and alpacas at Hart Park were among the main attractions for children during the cowboy festivities. It also allowed employees to share the animals’ stories and highlight them with people who may not usually visit the park on other days.
“A lot of people don’t know, they look at them [the animals] and they’re like, ‘Oh that one can’t walk, or this one’s blind,’” said Kim Rollins, an employee at the park. “I like telling their story because they can’t tell it themselves.”
Rollins was helping the volunteers with the alpacas who were greeting children and families one by one.
“There’s fun for everyone, I think. We get to dance to some of our favorite music and I can take her to look at animals, and she gets the chance to learn something new. Maybe she hasn’t gotten to yet at school, but eventually will,” said Dave Montgomery, who was exploring the festival with his 7-year-old daughter Aspen.
The weekend entertainment consisted of country tunes throughout the entire park and participatory attractions such as a mechanical bull and hatch throwing. People could also learn line dancing and take photos with trick roper Dave Thornbury.

