Ybarra was a star athlete at Hawley High School, where he played varsity baseball and football all throughout his high school career.
“He was a baseball player from the get-go. He picked up a baseball, I think, at two years old and just never stopped. He played all his life,” said Nieto.
His mom, Melanie Nieto, says athletics played a major role in his life.
“That's what encouraged him to go to school. Like, he was not a big school person. He didn't enjoy school, but the sports is what helped him get through all four years of high school and helped him to graduate and go on,” said Nieto.
Robert had received an opportunity to play baseball at Wayland Baptist University.
But when COVID-19 canceled his senior season, Robert wasn't sure whether the college season would happen, and he worried about taking on debt.
“He was just really, really scared to make that jump and go into debt like that. So he opted not to go instead,” said Nieto.
After his death, Robert’s family decided to honor his memory by working to help other student athletes who face the same decision.
At first, they planned to only raise money for one scholarship. Then Melanie and her brother-in-law, George Hightower, came up with a different idea.
“I reached out to my brother-in-law, George Hightower, and asked him if he thought we could do a music festival in his honor and just bring bands and have a big festival. Because that was something that Robert enjoyed doing,” said Nieto.
Melanie says that Robert’s love for the live music and rodeo’s directly inspired the event.
“He loved going to TCR, that Texas Cowboy Reunion. He went to the Common Rodeo, he went to a lot of concerts. He just liked, he enjoyed doing things like that. So that's where we came up with the idea to turn it into a music festival,” said Nieto.
So the family built a festival around something Robert enjoyed, concerts and live events, and used it to support other student athletes.
Over the last five years, Rebel Fest has grown beyond Robert and the families’ immediate circle. Grace Owinyo, who will soon marry into the family, has already been a part of that expanded circle.
“We've had the first few years with more family, familiar faces and this year it's family plus people we've never met before. So that's great seeing that it's reaching out to the community,” said Nieto.
That change was visible throughout this year's festival. New vendors set up alongside returning supporters, while families moved between the music, food and activities. Naomi Garza, owner of Naomi’s Tienditas, sold ice cold agua fresca.
“I've been really surprised to see the community coming out to supporting them. Like this is my first time out here... This is pretty neat that the family comes out, and the community comes out to support such an important thing for Robert,” said Garza.
Rebel Fest brought out a variety of vendors offering their specialty food items and other goods.
Delaney Dukes says she enjoyed meeting the other vendors and shoppers who came by her families Sparkling Grace Permanent Jewelry Stand.
“Just coming out here, this is our first year. The amount of people that are coming out here to support the cause is absolutely astonishing. Everybody is so friendly and so kind,” said Dukes.
The festival raises money for the scholarships from ticket sales, as well as raffles and an auction.
When the auction got underway, the energy shifted as the energetic bidding entertained those watching the action. Attendees endured some of the hottest temperatures of the summer with the help of cold drinks and snow cones, and the mouthwatering smells of barbecue filled the event space.
It wasn’t just vendors who created the delicious aromas,14 teams of home-chefs competed in this year’s cook-off, which featured five categories: kids choice, beans, chicken, ribs, and brisket. It was the largest cook-off for Rebel Fest yet.
The live-music performances have been the recurring heartbeat of the festival.
“Ever since the first one, I've been at all of them, and I will continue to support it as long as they keep doing it,” said Martin.
Texas Country singer songwriter Jeff Martin says he likes being part of the event — supporting local students while helping Robert’s family exchange their grief for blessings.
“They wanna show love to other kids and watch them grow in place of where Robert can't anymore,” said Martin.
The festival’s proceeds now fund three two-thousand-dollar scholarships, which they award each year to graduating Big Country student athletes.
Any graduate from a Big Country high school, who played varsity sports in their junior and senior year can apply. The family hopes the festival and the generosity will continue growing.
For Robert’s mom Melanie, that growth means more people are learning about the son she lost.
And like many people who grieve the loss of a loved one, Melanie says sharing stories and saying his name is a beautiful part of the event.
“At Rebel Fest, I do shed a lot of tears, but they're all happy tears. They're grateful tears that when you talk to me about him, you're not forgetting him, you're remembering him,” said Nieto.
The family may have organized the festival to honor Robert through the fundraiser, but the annual party has become a gift to the family, as they receive the joy of sharing his story and giving young athletes a chance to pursue their college dreams.