What Is Mindfest?

Mindfest is an all-day informative, inspirational, inclusive community-building mental health and wellness fair that takes place on May 5, 2023. We aim to increase awareness of mental health and illness as well as provide resources and services for people with lived experiences, families, advocates, and our communities.

Launched in 2013, Mindfest began as a unique initiative spearheaded by the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto with the following aspirational goals:

• Promote awareness, dialogue, and understanding about mental health and mental illness

• Decrease stigma related to mental illness

• Share advances in the mental health field

• Increase awareness of available resources and services at the campus and in the community

Every year, we attract and engage over 500 attendees from universities, high school, professionals, and the general public to this multi-faceted event. It is community fair, and so much more, as attendees are able to pick and choose from many different formats to learn more about mental health and mental illness; hear first-hand accounts from people with lived experiences and their family members; and engage in experiential workshops and hands-on activities. Not only does it raise awareness about mental health issues and challenges, it also brings much needed information about resources and support systems at the university and in the community, fostering dialogue on everything from prevention and promotion to current treatment approaches to exploring new solutions together.