WELLINGTON NORTH – The Hope Committee wants north Wellington residents to nourish, move, create and discover.
Those “four pillars of wellness” are themes for the first-ever Lighthouse Festival coming to Wellington North and Minto from Sept. 8 to 10.
Physical and mental health will be promoted throughout multiple events over the three-day festival.
Event planner Kate Morris told the Advertiser the festival will give the community a chance to try out wellness activities and give individuals the chance to find out what works for them.
“Local people will see that wellness doesn’t have to be expensive; it’s something you can do every day,” Morris said.
Mount Forest Family Health Team lead Elsa Mann stated in a press release “local organizations get to showcase what they have to offer, and community members get to have fun and improve wellness.”
The festival kicks off in downtown Mount Forest on Sept. 8 from 11am to 2pm with a free community barbecue next to Plume’s Main Street Interiors.
There will be yoga, painting, mediation, journaling and poetry workshops, and more.
The River 88.7 radio station will record sound bites of people speaking about what wellness means to them.
On Sept. 10, “Hope Talks,” a TED Talk-style event, takes place from 2 to 4pm at the Norgan Theatre in Palmerston.
Local speakers will take to the stage and share personal, inspiring and thought-provoking stories, officials say.
Tickets will be $20, and organizers suggest keeping eye on social media channels for more info on where tickets can be purchased.
There will also be a limited availability of subsidized tickets.
A recording of the event will be published online following the live event.
Grew ‘from a seed’
The idea for the festival was “an idea that grew from a little seed,” Hope committee member Janice Benson explained in an interview.
And the lighthouse, Benson said, is a symbol for shining a light over the community, helping it to find the way.
The Hope Committee, operating under the Mount Forest Family Health Team umbrella, and advocating locally for mental health and wellness resources, was started in 2010 by local service providers and community members with lived mental health experiences.
To increase its visibility and engage the community, organizers were planning for a festival to coincide with the committee’s 10-year anniversary – until the pandemic happened.
A few years later, the festival is finally coming together to provide people with a “chance to witness and see what is out there for them,” Morris said.
“There are so many cool, neat and intriguing events [that will] foster community engagement,” she added.
Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington mental health promotion coordinator Angela Heeley stated in a press release that focusing exclusively on life’s problems can be overwhelming.
“The Hope Committee wants to focus on our strengths, and empower people with opportunities for what they can do, things that feel good,” Heeley stated.
It’s far too early to say if the festival will become a yearly event, but organizers are hoping it inspires others to continue shining a light on wellness throughout the community.
Volunteers are wanted to help with the Friday barbecue in Mount Forest and the Sunday talk event in Palmerston.
Organizers are also seeking financial sponsorship from local businesses, organizations and community groups, which can contribute to low-to-no-cost events for the festival.
To express interest in volunteering, sponsorship, or for subsidized tickets to the Hope Talks event, email lighthousenorthwell@gmail.com.
The festival is also on Facebook under “Lighthouse Wellness Festival.”
