Austin’s Hot Luck Festival Is Postponed to 2021

Austin food and music multi-day event Hot Luck Festival is now officially postponed to next year, due to concerns over the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. The event was scheduled to take place from Thursday, May 21 through Sunday, May 24, 2020, but now it is set for Memorial Day weekend in 2021, from Thursday, May 28 through Sunday, May 30.

The festival would’ve taken place after the end of the city and state ban on gatherings of 10 people or more (Friday, May 1), but the organizers (Franklin Barbecue’s Aaron Franklin, The Mohawk’s James Moody, and Feast Portland’s Mike Thelin) noted that “this year is not the safest time to have a food festival, nor is it the best way to support the industry and our loyal audience that is the heart of Hot Luck,” on its website.

Those who already bought tickets and packages can apply those purchases to next year’s festival, or receive refunds through Eventbrite. Already-scheduled concerts will be rescheduled, with those dates to be announced later.

This would’ve been the fourth year for the festival. On deck had been an array of nationally known chefs, from Reem Assil of Oakland Arab bakery Reem’s California, Puerto Rico-based chef Jose Enrique, Portland chef Gregory Gourdet of a forthcoming restaurant focusing on Haitian fare with pan-Asian influences, Los Angeles chef Mei Lin of Nightshade, Dallas Laotian chef Donny Sirisavath of Khao Noodle Shop, among others.

Hot Luck joins the growing list of food-related events to postpone or cancel in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including South by Southwest and Austin Food & Wine Festival.

• Hot Luck Festival [Official]
• All Coronavirus Coverage [E]