On Center
by BRENDA STEWART

Man, I love this time of year in Kyle. Festival season is upon us and it seems like there’s something happening at every turn. On Thursday, our 11th Annual Easter Egg-stravaganza takes place at Gregg-Clarke Park. The hunt for our youngest egg-seekers begins at 6 p.m. And in the spirit of keeping it green, the city has set up recycling bins for those plastic multi-colored egg carcasses after your little hunter has sated their sweet tooth. Drop them in the barrel and you can re-hunt them next year. The ultimate in recycling.

Then, of course, my all-time favorite holiday, April Fool’s Day, graces us on Thursday and promises to be filled with mischief. Last year, in celebration of Fool’s Day falling on production day, the Hays Free Press had a field day with the front page. The banner trumpeted the breaking news that the Kyle Community Library would be relocating to downtown Buda and that the novice hiker had finally been located after a harrowing two days of being lost in the wilds of Mountain City. I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun proofing this newspaper than I did that night.

All that, and it’s not even the weekend yet. Don’t forget that HCISD is taking a holiday on Friday. So keep in mind… kids on skateboards and wandering aimlessly. Hang up and watch out for the locals. Do head downtown, though, on Friday. The Old Town Gift Emporium will be throwing open its doors again after a bit of a sabbatical and hosting the biggest sale downtown Kyle has seen in years (maybe ever). And that aroma you’re smelling? Friday is also the premier of the Kyle Fajita Fiesta and BBQ Cookoff.

Come to find out, it is more than rumored that Kyle is the birthplace of the fajita. Seems Sonny Falcon created the art form to sell at some festival downtown back in 1969. He had folks lining up at his booth all day. So, in celebration of this birthright, cooks from all over will be amassing on City Square Park to vie for prize money and the status of creating the best fajita taco of the year. Judging begins at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday night.

Which leads us to Market Days. Our favorite first-Saturday-of-the-month festival kicks back to life on the 3rd with a farmer’s market and crafts and art and, you know, townsfolk getting together and talking and laughing and hanging out in their city center. Come downtown. Spend some money. Spend some time. Add your cool vibe to the town you chose to call home.