LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Community leaders joined Mayor Greg Fischer on Tuesday to announce Louisville's first ever MindFEST event will be held later this May.
What You Need To Know
- Louisville is holding its first ever MindFEST on May 21 at the Roots 101 Museum
- The free festival features music, food, yoga, art and panel discussions
- Aim is to raise awareness and decrease stigma of mental health
The free festival will be held Saturday, May 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Roots 101 African American History Museum.
MindFEST is a community mind-strengthening event that will be infused with music, food, entertainment, art, yoga, vendors, panel discussions and more, organizers said in a news release. The event's overall goal is to encourage community engagement around mental health topics, connect people with resources and decrease the stigma of mental health.
“Struggling with issues like depression and anxiety is totally normal, especially after living in a global pandemic for more than two years,” Fischer said in a news release. “Our lives have been altered a great deal and our community is still coping with all the lives lost to COVID-19. MindFEST is a way we can all come together and lean on each other for support.”
Amanda Villaveces, director of Mental Health Lou, said the event will hopefully heal the community's collective trauma inflicted over the past few years.
"MindFEST is an amazing opportunity for our community to come together to learn, laugh and connect. All things that support healing for Louisville,” Villaveces said.
To support the mission of MindFEST, the Louisville Bats are hosting Mental Health Awareness Night on Thursday, May 12 at Slugger Field. A portion of each ticket purchased through Fevo will go to MindFEST.
“We want people to know that mental health is part of everyday life and that there are many resources in our community to help care for our mental health," Villaveces said. "MindFEST is our team’s way of saying, 'We see you, we got you, you're not alone.'"
Roots 101 African American History Museum is located at 124 N. 1st St. in Louisville. MindFEST will be free and open to the public.
If you're struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, you can text LOU to 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.