About the festival
The 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.
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)
What Time & Place Cost Description Soulful Recipes : The Heartwarming Role of Food in Memory of Loved Ones 8am-1pm at the Rec Hub FREE Food 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 Gardens FREE Bereaved 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 KohcoBein 10am - 3pm in City Builders Gallery FREE A 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 one 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens Pay what you can $5 recommended This 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 Gardens Free Light 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 Doula 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Ask Death Doula and Grief Educator Adrianna Prosser about death, dying, grief and bereavement. Herons and Humming Birds: A Play with Music 11am & 1pm (70 min show) in BMO Atrium FREE Evocative 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 Club 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Share 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 Room FREE with registration In 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 Therapy 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Wander 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 Hyphen 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Our 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 Sophia 10:30am-4pm in CRH Gallery
FREE Sound 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 Planning 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Let'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)
What Time & Place Cost Description Main Stage: Mexicans Folk Ballet TBD FREE Our 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 Garden 10am - 3pm in Tiffany Commons $5 suggested donation Plant a tulip bulb in memory of a loved one. Mercado : Artisan market 10am - 3pm under the Pavilions FREE to enter Food Court : delicious local vendors 10am - 3pm under the Pavilions Prices vary Sugar Skulls Decorating with Maxei
Register here 10am-11am, 1pm-2pm(Pre-register only)
11am-12pm, 2pm-3pm (Drop in, first come first served" in the Rec Hub $30 Decorate your own sugar skull, one of the most traditional symbols for Day of the Dead. Paper Mask Making with Maxei 10am-3pm, Drop in any time in the Rec Hub FREE Make 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 painting 10am-3pm under the Pavilions $5-$20 Come and get your face painted as a calaverita, catrina or skull!
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 México 11 - 11:30am Colombian Dance Company :
Celebrating Life 11:45am - 12:30pm Casa Cultural Mexicana : Day of the Dead Puppet Show
12:30pm - 1pm México Amigo Mariachi: Day of the Dead Concert 1pm - 2pm Traditional Day of the Dead Parade 2pm - 2:15pm The Mexicans Folk Ballet performance 2:15pm - 3pm
Venue photograph: Andrea Davidova / Evergreen, supplied in Evergreen’s media kit.
Evergreen Brick Works · 550 Bayview Ave
Venue details →Good Grief : A Creative Space for Honouring Love and Loss by Living Hyphen 10am-3pm in Koerner Gardens FREE Our 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.