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Good Mourning Festival

October 24 & 25

Join us for two days: Together in Grief (Day 1) and Día de los Muertos (Day 2)

About the festival

Good Mourning is a public festival that brings grief and mourning out of the shadows and into the light.

 

On the first day, Together in Grief, we create a space where grief can be expressed, shared and understood through workshops, art installations, music, peer support and more.

 

The second day of the festival is our Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. A Mexican and Latin American tradition, this day bring rituals, performances, crafts and food to commemorate loved ones who have died and embrace death as a universal part of life.

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Parade on Day 2 - Day of the Dead
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Moments to reflect and connect
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Interactive installations exploring the themes of death, grief and mourning of all kinds
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A food court of Mexican and Latin American dishes on Day 2 - Day of the Dead
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Traditional Mexican and Latin American performances on Day 2 - Day of the Dead
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Shop at the Mercado, an artisan market on Day 2 of the Festival.

Festival Schedule

Click a day below to see all the different programming being offered, the times it will be running and any cost or registration needed for it.

 

Our food court will be open on Day 2 only from 10am – 3pm.

Together in Grief (Sat Oct 24)

WhatTime & PlaceCostDescription
Soulful Recipes: The Heartwarming Role of Food in Memory of Loved Ones8am-1pm at the Rec HubFREEFood serves as a tangible and sensory link to our cultural heritage and can preserve our connection to our deceased relatives. Come find recipes shared by our vendors, staff and volunteers honouring loved ones passed.
Peer support - by the Bereaved Families of Ontario 10am - 3pm in Koerner GardensFREEBereaved Families of Ontario – Toronto is a local charitable organization that supports individuals, families and groups experiencing grief from the death of a loved one. Since 1978, they have supported thousands of people through their peer support model.
Solace Cafe: pop up with KohcoBein10am - 3pm in City Builders GalleryFREEA community-centered gathering space for grief, reflection, and quiet connection. As an interactive art installation, it provides space for conversations, peer support, and quiet presence.
Memorial Garden: Plant a tulip bulb in memory of a loved one10am-3pm in Koerner GardensPay what you can $5 recommendedThis special garden serves as a place of reflection and beauty, where each tulip symbolizes a cherished memory, a loved one, or a personal milestone.
Pet Memorial: Honouring lost companions with In Good Hands Pet Loss 10am - 3pm in Koerner GardensFreeLight a candle in your companion's honour and write their name on a rock. You are also welcome to bring your pet’s collars and harnesses and attach them to the “rainbow bridge”. All items left will be donated to the Toronto Humane Society.
Ask a Death Doula by Lady Death Doula10am-3pm in Koerner GardensFREEAsk Death Doula and Grief Educator Adrianna Prosser about death, dying, grief and bereavement.
Herons and Humming Birds: A Play with Music11am & 1pm (70 min show) in BMO AtriumFREEEvocative songs and storytelling shine a hopeful light on grief, taking the audience on a cathartic and uplifting journey. Songs and music by Tim Machin and Marcia Tratt.
For Keeps by Parentless Club10am-3pm in Koerner GardensFREEShare the best or most memorable advice your parent gave you, a favourite memory you have of them, or, if you’re a parent yourself, a lesson you hope your own kids carry with them.
How to Support a Grieving Friend Workshop with Aly Bird Therapy Register for the 11:30am workshop here and the 3pm workshop here.11:30am and 3pm in Blakes RoomFREE with registrationIn this interactive workshop, you'll learn practical strategies for supporting someone through the long-haul of grief. Drawing on the principles of grief allyship, we'll explore how to listen, remember, check in, and show up long after the memorials are over.
Grief Ally Garden with Aly Bird Therapy10am-3pm in Koerner GardensFREEWander through the garden, explore simple ideas for becoming a more thoughtful grief ally, and reflect on the unique skills, resources, and relationships you can bring to someone you care about. Then add your own idea to the growing garden of wisdom contributed by festival guests.
Good Grief: A Creative Space for Honouring Love and Loss by Living Hyphen10am-3pm in Koerner GardensFREEOur creative space will offer a variety of accessible, self-directed art-making activities that encourage us to engage with our grief in different ways, from blackout poetry to zinemaking.
Sound Weaver with Sophia10:30am-4pm in CRH Gallery FREESound healing is the therapeutic application of sound frequencies to the body, mind, spirit of a person. This program provides guest with a short opportunity to experience sound and vibrations through various instruments.
EndWell Life & Longevity Planning10am-3pm in Koerner GardensFREELet's talk about the end, so you can live well until it comes. EndWell is a new program from Lesley Stoyan, a certified health and wellness coach. Drop into the EndWell Lounge for a cup of tea and a conversation about what your dream ending looks like.

Día de los Muertos (Sun Oct 25)

WhatTime & PlaceCostDescription
Main Stage: Mexicans Folk BalletTBDFREEOur Pavilions will be buzzing with an exciting array of music, dance and storytelling. These performances bring communities together by creating something big through the arts and sharing Día de los Muertos customs to this multicultural country. Performance Schedule coming soon!
Memorial Garden10am - 3pm in Tiffany Commons$5 suggested donationPlant a tulip bulb in memory of a loved one.
Mercado: Artisan market10am - 3pm under the PavilionsFREE to enter
Food Court: delicious local vendors10am - 3pm under the PavilionsPrices vary
Sugar Skulls Decorating with Maxei Register here10am-11am, 1pm-2pm(Pre-register only) 11am-12pm, 2pm-3pm (Drop in, first come first served" in the Rec Hub$30Decorate your own sugar skull, one of the most traditional symbols for Day of the Dead.
Paper Mask Making with Maxei10am-3pm, Drop in any time in the Rec HubFREEMake your own paper Catrina mask, one of the most recognizable symbols of the Day of the Dead. She represents the idea that, no matter how rich or powerful someone is, at the end we are all equal.
Face painting10am-3pm under the PavilionsStarting at $15Come and get your face painted as a calaverita, catrina or skull!
Make a Bath Bomb with Lush Register HereVarious times, 10am-3pm. Registered and drop-in spaces available. Registered spaces will be held for 5 min, after that they'll be given to drop ins.FREEJoin Lush to make your very own Calaverita Bath Bomb for Día de Muertos.

Main Stage Performance Schedule (Oct 25)

Our Pavilions will be buzzing with an exciting array of music, dance and storytelling. These performances by the Mexicans Folk Ballet bring communities together by creating something big through the arts and sharing Día de los Muertos customs to this multicultural country.

The Mexicans Seniors Present: Las Catrinas de México11 - 11:30am
Colombian Dance Company: Celebrating Life11:45am - 12:30pm
Casa Cultural Mexicana: Day of the Dead Puppet Show 12:30pm - 1pm
México Amigo Mariachi: Day of the Dead Concert1pm - 2pm
Traditional Day of the Dead Parade 2pm - 2:15pm
The Mexicans Folk Ballet performance2:15pm - 3pm

Take the free shuttle bus to Evergreen Brick Works

We have two shuttle buses running for the Good Mourning Festival! See the table below for departure times from Broadview Subway Station Parkette and Evergreen Brick Works.

Extended shuttle bus schedule
Departs Evergreen Brick WorksDeparts Broadview
7:45 am
8:00 am8:15 am
8:30 am8:45 am
9:00 am9:15 am
9:30 am9:45 am
10:15 am10:30 am
10:45 am11:00 am
11:00 am11:15 am
11:15 am11:30 am
11:30 am11:45 am
11:45 am12:00 pm
12:00 pm12:15 pm
12:15 pm12:30 pm
12:45 pm1:00 pm
1:15 pm1:30 pm
1:45 pm2:00 pm
2:00 pm2:15 pm
2:15 pm2:30 pm
2:30 pm2:45pm
2:45 pm3:00 pm
3:00 pm3:15 pm
3:15 pm3:30 pm
3:30 pm3:45 pm
4:00pm4:15 pm
4:15 pm4:45 pm
4:30 pm5:00 pm
5:00 pm5:30 pm
5:15 pm6:00 pm
5:45 pm6:30 pm
6:45 pm7:00 pm
7:15 pm
Supported by

The Good Mourning Festival is supported by the City of Toronto’s Cultural Festival Funding Program and the Government of Ontario’s Experience Ontario program. This festival is also funded in part by the Government of Canada.

City of Toronto Ontario