Last Fall, thousands gathered at Evergreen Brick Works for the second annual Good Mourning Festival. This remarkable gathering explored grief, remembrance, and healing through art, performance, and ritual. Against the backdrop of autumn foliage and industrial architecture reclaimed by nature, the event invited visitors to engage deeply with the communal process of mourning.
Curated by Janina de Guzman, Senior Program Officer at Evergreen, the festival brought together a powerful network of community partners and artists, including Space for Grief, Bereaved Families of Ontario, and In Good Hands Pet Loss, to reclaim grief as not only a personal journey but a public conversation.
From the moment attendees arrived, they were immersed in thoughtful installations and programming that encouraged reflection and connection. Inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead traditions, the festival honoured the past while grounding visitors in the present. The space was filled with colour, warmth, and reverence.
One of the event’s most striking elements was “Space for Grief”, a large-scale interactive art installation. Designed as a multi-site meditative experience, it featured an original soundtrack guiding participants through stillness, contemplation, and community. Guests were invited to leave handwritten notes to lost loved ones—private words left in a public space, now held by the collective. Just steps away, the Memorial Garden, presented in partnership with Permastake, offered visitors a chance to plant tulip bulbs in honour of someone they had lost. Destined to bloom this spring, these bulbs served as a quiet metaphor for renewal and continued bonds. The festival was rich with live performances and ritualistic expression.
The Mexican Folk Ballet brought the spirit of Día de los Muertos to life with breathtaking traditional dance and music.
Raw Taiko delivered a thunderous performance that pulsed with intensity, while Strings Attached captivated hearts through a poignant performance of Malachy the Elephant.
Other features included:
- The Wind Telephone: A quiet, contemplative phone booth where people could “call” those they’ve lost—a globally recognized installation originally created by Itaru Sasaki in 2010.
- Grounded Strands Workshop with Philotimo Life: Participants crafted their own meditation or worry beads, turning raw emotion into tangible expressions of personal healing.
- Carbon Conversations TO: A powerful outlet for climate grief, where guests used visual art—drawing, painting, collage—to process eco-anxiety and the emotional toll of a changing world.
- One deeply moving component was the Pet Memorial Altar by In Good Hands Pet Loss, where candles were lit in memory of beloved animal companions. The altar created a tender space for families and individuals to honour pets who had provided years of unconditional love.
The Good Mourning Festival was more than a public event—it was a gentle revolution in how we talk about and hold space for death. It offered a model of what it looks like when art, wellness, ritual, and public gathering work in harmony. The setting of Evergreen Brick Works—a green community hub born from industrial ruin—only deepened the theme of renewal through transformation.
“I appreciated all of the exhibits and activities available to process and validate our grief. It was so kind of you to give the community this event for free.” –Barb, attendee
Janina de Guzman’s leadership was evident throughout. Her thoughtful curation reflected not only deep experience in community engagement but a profound respect for the grieving process. Supported by the Mount Pleasant Group, the festival’s free programming removed barriers to access, allowing the community to participate fully in a shared act of healing.
As the tulips planted at this event have come into bloom, they symbolize the quiet, living impact of the Good Mourning Festival—an event that is as much about moving forward as it is about remembering.
To learn more about Evergreen Brick Works, visit their website and social media pages.
