SPC Celebrates 31st Annual CultureFest and Rib Cook-Off
June 2, 2026
St. Philip’s College celebrated culture and community during its 31st Annual CultureFest and Rib Cook-Off on April 23, 2026, welcoming thousands of visitors to its Martin Luther King Campus for the East Side’s largest free official Fiesta San Antonio event.
The daylong celebration featured live music, cultural performances, food and merchandise vendors, a car show, family activities, and the college’s signature rib cook-off competition. Proceeds from the event supported student scholarships, continuing a tradition that combines Fiesta fun with educational opportunity.
The event opening ceremony featured the Sam Houston High School JROTC Color Guard, the presentation of colors, a performance of the national anthem by St. Philip’s College Early College High School student Taleah Faucett, and an Indigenous blessing by the Mission Indians of San Antonio.
The event also showcased the work of St. Philip’s College Welding Technology students through a raffle featuring nine custom-made barbecue grills designed and fabricated by the program at the college’s Southwest Campus. The raffle generated over $7,700 in raffle funds that will go directly back into the academic program
Entertainment throughout the day included performances by Mariachi Festival de Oscar Garza, the Funk-O-Matic, and the Palacio Brothers.
The event concluded with the announcement of competition winners.
In the rib cook-off competition, The Smoke King BBQ earned first place, followed by Charcoal Confessions in second and Smoke Therapy in third.
The dessert competition was won by the SPC Veterans Affairs Office, with MECHIS Dessert taking second place and Audra Marie Nabers placing third.
Tiger Family Roar and Pour captured first place in the non-alcoholic beverage competition, followed by Burbank High School Culinary and Sarah Ramirez in third.
The Car show included 40 vehicles in total. The winners included Adrian Gonzalez in the Truck category, Lupe and Linda Ramirez in the Hot Rod division, Al Cervantes in the Modern category, and Ignacio Borroel in the Classic division.
CultureFest once again demonstrated the college’s dedication to education, cultural enrichment and community engagement, while generating scholarship support for future students.