Kirby Debuts Inaugural Fest at Friendship Park With Bun B's Trill Burgers, King Kyle Lee

The small Bexar County city of Kirby is rolling out a brand-new festival this fall, and organizers are hoping it becomes an annual tradition. Kirby Fest 2026 is set for Saturday, October 3, at Friendship Park, combining a morning fitness event, a full day of music and food, and a fundraiser for a nonprofit that serves veterans and first responders.

According to a City of Kirby post detailing the event, the day begins with a 5K run, walk, ruck, and bike event from 9 to 11 a.m., open to all ages, before Kirby Fest itself runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the park located at 5745 Binz-Engleman Road. The 5K portion is expected to make use of Friendship Park's existing trail infrastructure — the 0.92-mile Timothy J. Wilson Hike & Bike Trail, which opened in March 2018 and connects north to Hugo Lentz Park, according to the City of Kirby's parks department. The trail is normally open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. for local recreation.

Once the festival kicks off, attendees can expect the Spokes-N-Vogues Car Show running the full 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. window, alongside a kids zone with games, bounce houses, and face painting, a community resource fair, and vendor booths open to local businesses. Live music runs throughout the afternoon, including performances of country, Tejano, and rock covers by the band Radio Echo, before the night closes out with headliner King Kyle Lee from 6 to 7 p.m.

A San Antonio Rapper Headlines the Night

King Kyle Lee is a San Antonio-based hip-hop artist, producer, and DJ known for his regional trap sound, with collaborations spanning Southern rap figures including Paul Wall, Lil Flip, and Bun B, according to Do210. He has released more than 70 mixtape features and multiple solo projects within the Texas hip-hop scene, per the same outlet. His set closes an event billed by organizers as offering music, community, military support, and fitness activities all in one day.

Food at Kirby Fest will come courtesy of Trill Burgers, the Houston burger brand launched in summer 2021 by rap artist Bun B, restaurateur Andy Nguyen, and publicist Nick Scurfield. The chain was named the best burger in America by Good Morning America in 2022, according to the Houston Chronicle. Bun B, a Houston hip-hop icon and former member of the Southern rap group UGK, co-founded the brand alongside his music career.

Proceeds Support Veterans and First Responders

A portion of Kirby Fest proceeds will benefit Intrepid Care, described in event materials as serving those who serve the community — veterans, active-duty military members, first responders, and their families. Intrepid Care Inc. was established in late 2023 and received its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS in January 2024 to provide sports, outdoor recreation, and community resource assistance for these groups, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The nonprofit, which operates out of nearby Cibolo, reported $191,302 in revenue for fiscal year 2024 in IRS tax filings.

The festival is presented by a coalition of six groups: Intrepid Care, Screwed Up Records & Tapes, the City of Kirby, Spokes N Vogues, Anti-Bully Gang, and Trill Burgers. Screwed Up Records & Tapes carries the cultural legacy of Houston DJ Screw, born Robert Earl Davis Jr., who pioneered the influential chopped-and-screwed hip-hop style in Texas during the 1990s, according to background compiled by music database Viberate. Tickets, 5K registration, and vendor sign-up are available through the event's official registration page, while additional ticket and vendor information is posted at a separate link shared in the city's announcement.

A City Looking to Build a New Tradition

Kirby Fest arrives in a city that has tried this before. Kirby previously hosted an annual municipal festival called Hobo Fest, established in 2008 by former Mayor Johnny Duffek to honor the town's history as a 19th-century rail yard stop, according to the San Antonio Report. The city earned the moniker Hobo Capital of Texas when rail yards attracted migrant workers during the Great Depression, but that event was eventually discontinued.

Kirby is home to an estimated 8,117 residents across roughly 1.9 square miles in eastern Bexar County, per 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates cited by the Texas Gazetteer. The city has also been drawing financial attention this year: in July, S&P Global Ratings assigned an A+ credit rating with a stable outlook to $15 million in certificates of obligation issued for municipal infrastructure, with S&P citing steady management and expanding household tax bases, according to the Texas Capital Report.

Families in the area are served by Judson Independent School District, created in 1958 and covering more than 23,000 students across 55.8 square miles of northeast Bexar County, including local campuses like Kirby STEM Academy, according to Ballotpedia. Beyond the festival grounds, Friendship Park also includes two lighted outdoor tennis courts and picnic areas, and typically serves as Kirby's primary venue for seasonal holiday events and community gatherings, per Do210. Organizers are billing Kirby Fest 2026 as an inaugural event, with hopes that the mix of fitness, music, food, and charitable giving can give the city — as its own branding puts it — a new identity as a small city with a big heart.