The third annual Asian food festival hosted by the Austin Asian Community Health Initiative posted an urgent notice March 4 announcing its indefinite postponement

AUSTIN, Texas — The third annual Far East Fest 2020 has been postponed amid growing public safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, according to a statement released by Austin Asian Community Health Initiative (AACHI) March 4.

The festival was originally scheduled to happen March 29 but, this year, the festival organizers are "saddened to announce the indefinite postponement of Austin's third annual Far East Fest," said AACHI executive director Hailey Easley.

"We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and when the time is right, we look forward to announcing a new date for the festival," Easley said.

Those who purchased tickets will receive a full refund "in the next couple of days" through TicketBud, according to AACHI.

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Austin health officials are reminding the public that the risk is low, despite at least one person undergoing testing for the virus.

The AACHI nonprofit advocates for the health and well-being of Asian communities in Central Texas and serves as the organizer and beneficiary of Far East Fest.

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Founders of the festival Gavin Booth and Min Choe started the Far East Fest in 2018 to celebrate Asian cuisine and culinary history, according to The Austin Chronicle. The all-you-can-eat event hosts 30 to 40 Asian restaurants each year, seeking to promote local businesses that don't typically get media exposure. Last year, about 2,900 foodies attended the event, the Chronicle reported.

Multiple restaurants including Wu Chow, Bento Picnic, Lucky Robot and Chinatown served samples of their most popular plates at the previous year's festival.