2nd annual mental health festival returns this month

Emily Davis at MindFEST Louisville in 2022

Emily Davis (far left) is the founder and president of MiNDFEST, which brings mental health resources and information to the public. | Photo by MiNDFEST

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in Kentucky, 37.4% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety and/or a depressive disorder — compared to 32.3% of adults across the US.

To help Louisvillians learn more about mental health and find available resources, Emily Davis created MiNDFEST, a free annual community event. This year’s festival will take place at the Roots 101 African American Museum on Sunday, May 21.

After starting a podcast about her own mental health struggles two years ago, Emily began connecting with resources around town and decided Derby City needed an event to bring them all together for the public.

“Everyone’s struggling, and some people don’t like talking about it and don’t know where to look,” she said.

Now in its second year, MiNDFEST offers an afternoon of family-friendly music, food, entertainment, art, yoga, vendors, panel discussions + more.

Activity at MindFEST Louisville 2022 — A group participates in a mindful art project at MiNDFEST 2022.
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Photo by MiNDFEST

“This year, it’s a panel of all Black men talking about mental health,” Emily said. “I think it’s really important for the Black community to destigmatize [mental health], so that is a focus this year.”

She added that the 2023 event’s overall theme is “I have a story to tell” because simply speaking out about mental health and having transparent conversations can be lifesaving. “We want everyone to know that it’s OK to tell your story,” she said.

Admission to MiNDFEST is free, but you can register online to let the organizers know you’re coming.

For more mental health resources, visit louisvilleky.gov or Mental Health Lou, and mark your calendars for Friday-Saturday, August 18-19, when mental health-focused music festival The Big Stomp comes to The Parklands.

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Events

Thursday, May 4

Derby Soundstage 2023 | Thursday, May 4 | 7 p.m. | Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Ln., Louisville | $65-$200 | See hip hop legends T.I., Jeezy, Trina + DJ Drama perform at Freedom Hall.
Falls City Comedy Showcase | Thursday, May 4 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Falls City Taproom, 901 E. Liberty St., Louisville | Free | Laugh out loud with LOU comics while enjoying craft beer + food from Falls City Kitchen.

Friday, May 5

Oaks Day Watch Party | Friday, May 5 | 1-6 p.m. | Black Jockeys Lounge, 630 S. 4th St., Louisville | $25-$35 | Dress to impress and watch the Oaks races while enjoying tunes by DJ Z-Nyce + DJ Reece.
LOUtoday After Oaks Meet + Greet | Friday, May 5 | 7-9 p.m. | The Local Seltzery, 828 E. Main St., Louisville | Free | Meet Katie, Lennie, and Mandey while enjoying 50% off seltzers and cocktails + complimentary charcuterie from Cultured and other snacks.

Saturday, May 6

Outdoor Book Sale | Saturday, May 6 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | The Floyd County Library, 180 W. Spring St., New Albany | Free | Find new reads that start at $0.25 each, with all proceeds supporting the library.
Meet a Box Turtle | Saturday, May 6 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Louisville Nature Center, 3745 Illinois Ave., Louisville | Meet the nature center’s four resident box turtles up close, learn about their lives + take a one-hour walk through the forest.

Sunday, May 7

Seal - World Tour 2023 | Sunday, May 7 | 8 p.m. | Louisville Palace, 625 S. 4th St., Louisville | $49.50-$229.50 | See this British singer best known for his hit “Crazy.”

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Trending

Your next celebrity sighting is nigh. Derby week means celebrities will be out and about in LOU. Guests at Friday night’s Barnstable Brown Gala in the Highlands include Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rogers, Jack Harlow, and Chris Pine — to name a few. (WDRB)

Closing

All Thai’d Up is closing its brick-and-mortar restaurant tomorrow. Guests have one more day to get authentic Thai street food — like pad Thai, curries, and spicy basil stir fry — downtown at 211 S. 5th St. Owner Katherine Aphaivongs will continue operating the All Thai’d Up food truck.

Traffic

Road closures for Oaks and Derby have begun. Fourth Street from Heywood Avenue to Oakdale Avenue + the alley at the Churchill Downs backside gate are completely closed through Saturday, May 6. There are 30+ other road restrictions around Louisville, too. (WHAS11)

Featured

“Louisville-style” pizzeria Impellizzeri’s serves the best pizza in Kentucky according to Reader’s Digest, which cited its pie’s cheesy goodness as one reason for the ranking. The local restaurant — which boasts four locations throughout the Commonwealth — made an impression in the LOUtoday pizza bracket, coming in second only to Danny Mac’s.

Number

1,800. That’s how many public school educators are currently participating in The Kentucky Department of Education’s Kentucky Reading Academies. The program helps teachers gain essential knowledge to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction.

Eat

Butchertown restaurant Naive has a whole new menu — and for the first time — is offering steak dishes with meat from Caldwell County’s Black Hawk Farms. Its revamped dishes are Japanese-meets-Italian inspired with handmade pasta from Butchertown Grocery Bakery.
What’s for dinner, Louisville? If you’re stuck in meal-time monotony, we’ve got the perfect solution: Home Cuisine. The local service delivers chef-crafted meals straight to your door. Choose a plan that fits your lifestyle — whether you’re cooking for one or an entire family.*

Finance

Here are the average retirement savings by age — are you on track?*

Fun Fact

National Beverage Day is this Saturday, May 6. In celebration, we’re featuring some of our Six & Main beverage brands across our markets including Blanchard’s Coffee, a|dash, Sarilla, Matcha Nude, and more. Start sipping now.

Kids

The perfect family-friendly activity does exist, and you can even do it all spring and summer long, rain or shine. We’re talking about Kids Bowl Free — a national program that connects you with local bowling alleys where kids can receive two free games of bowling each day. Learn more + sign up.

Featured

👋 Hello, Mandey

Meet Mandey, the LOUtoday Sales Executive

Sales executive Mandey with her husband at Oaks 2022

Mandey and her husband are all smiles at Kentucky Oaks 2022. | Photo by LOUtoday

You know City Editors Katie and Lennie, but have you met Mandey? She’s the Sales Executive that rounds out the LOUtoday team, and today we’re getting to know her favorite places around town to eat, shop + more.

Q: Describe your perfect day in LOU in the length of a Tweet.

A: Breakfast at First Watch before heading to Churchill Downs on a beautiful, sunny day. After winning lots of money, head to Jeff Ruby or the River House patio to celebrate.

Q: You can only choose one local restaurant menu to bring with you to a deserted island — which one is it + why?

A: My current favorite is La Bodeguita De Mima. The food is outstanding and they have the best mojitos.