Houston Food Festival Commune Will Scale Back Significantly as COVID Cases Rise | Eater Houston

"Scheduled to be the venue for a much-anticipated food festival in August, the new hotel saw those plans drastically scaled back as organizers responded to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant. Rather than the original, full-scale event featuring more than 200 chefs and a lineup that included private dinners and a Jewish deli pop-up, the festival was postponed to March 2022. In its place, a much smaller, outdoor 'Commune Preview' running Aug. 26–29 was announced with 24 chefs, limited seating, and all events held outdoors; ticket holders were given the option to redeem for the preview, keep tickets for the March event, or request refunds. Organizers emphasized prioritizing the health of staff, talent, guests, and the community and warned plans could change if COVID-19 conditions worsen, a decision made amid record hospitalizations in the surrounding county." - Amy McCarthy