This time last year, hundreds of Kyles were getting ready to travel to Kyle, Texas, in an attempt to surpass the Guinness World Record for the largest same-name gathering. Some Kyles flew from as far as Germany and Australia to attend.
But this year, they’re taking a break.
“ We are not doing an official gathering of the Kyle, as far as the Guinness World Record attempt,” said Rachel Sonnier, assistant director of communications for the City of Kyle. “We're gonna hold off and plan it for another year down the line.”
The city has been hosting the gathering since 2017 but has fallen short. The closest they got was in 2023 when 1,490 people named Kyle gathered for the event. The number to beat was 2,325.
The current title belongs to Kupres, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where people named Ivan set the record on July 30, 2017.
The City of Kyle still hopes to beat the record and will host another “Gathering of the Kyles” event in the future, just not this year. Sonnier said the city needs more time to prepare.
“ It takes a lot. It's a huge endeavor. We have to have a ton of volunteers,” she said. “We want to give plenty of time for promotions to get more Kyles out since we didn't quite meet the record last year.”
The "Gathering of the Kyles" event was part of the City of Kyle's annual fair, which will take place this year from May 16 to 18 at Lake Kyle Park. The free event will include live music performances, food and market vendors, carnival rides and games.
