Free mental health festival coming to Carlsbad next week

A free communitywide mental wellness festival with the theme "Change Your Mind" is set for Sept. 10 in Carlsbad, organized by Escondido-based nonprofit Interfaith Community Services.

The one-day event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will offer workshops, demonstrations and presentations on achieving mental wellness, along with hands-on wellness activities led by experts from Interfaith Community Services and the San Diego mental health care community.

The mental health fair is the first of what is hoped to be an annual event for folks to learn about how to take care of their mental health needs and the needs of loved ones. Topics include Wellness and Spirituality, Healing through the Arts, Tools to Survive and Thrive, Depression in Youth and Teens, Mindfulness for Veterans and Destigmatizing Mental Health.

The festival is intended to raise awareness about the importance of mental wellness and remove the stigma that sometimes goes along with many mental health challenges, according to Interfaith Community Services.

"This event is meant to be a wellness and transformative experience for the community to get together and begin to look past harmful stigmas and labels often associated with mental health," said Varinda Missett, chief development officer at Interfaith Community Services, who came up with the idea for the event.

The family-friendly event offers a day of "healing self care" and is open to all ages. A number of free wellness activities with de-stressing techniques will be offered ranging from yoga, art therapy and sound baths to gong meditation and drumming circles. There will be live music, cultural dance performances and sensory activities along with yoga for kids. Attendees can join a mural project as part of an art therapy demonstration.

Healing activities include a painters splash pad, "Paws-itivity" time with trained therapy dogs from Helen Woodward Animal Center, a cloud room, a succulent arrangement workshop, a mindful knitting class and a workshop on Japanese Art of Kintsugi – How the Broken Can be Beautiful.

A break-out presentation on "The Power of Belonging – How Our Ability to Connect Creates Healing" will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. led by Thom Nezbeda, a veteran and security consultant, and Ashley McGuire, a consultant specializing in restorative justice practices, conflict resolution, peacemaking, communication, social-emotional development and play therapy. Participants will see how critical a sense of belonging and community is to mental health and well-being.

The lineup of presentations includes:

Live music will be performed throughout the day, starting with Psalms of Nico and including Gaba Groove, Prem and Sensi Trails.

"Interfaith Community Services is starting this community event to change the conversation surrounding mental health —one mind and one life at a time," Missett said. "Coming out of COVID everyone was talking about mental health and we wanted to share the information we have with everyone in the community in a fun, positive way."

Interfaith is looking for volunteers and donations from the community to help the nonprofit build programs for community members struggling with mental health issues. The event is free, but there is also a VIP package for $20, which includes priority access to two presentations, free access to the sensory tour experiences, free kombucha tasting and five free tickets for food and additional special activities at the event.

The festival is outside on the ViaSat campus, 2456 Town Garden Road in Carlsbad'sBressi Ranch neighborhood. Free parking is available in Parking Structures 1 and 2.

To participate as an exhibitor ($200 for a booth) or sponsor, email sjacobs@interfaithservices.org.

Register at interfaithservices.org/change.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

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