THE programme of events for the 2026 Kerry Mental Health & Wellbeing Fest has been finalised online, with bookings open from 9am this Friday 11th September.
This year’s Fest will run from Saturday 10th October, World Mental Health Day, to Saturday 17th October, with a wide variety of FREE events taking place throughout County Kerry.
With events like Pilates, gardening, art, yoga, clay modelling, bee keeping, ice-cream making, self defence, mindfulness, storytelling and guided walks, there is an event there for everyone.
All the events which connect with one or more of the Five Ways to Wellbeing can be viewed and booked at KerryMentalHealthAndWellbeingFest.com/events from Friday 11th September.
The key focus of #KerryMHWFest is to promote mental health and wellbeing through a fun, inclusive and interactive programme, while encouraging people of all ages to take positive steps to support their own wellbeing and that of others.
Prospective participants can browse the full programme online, find events in their area and register for the activities they would like to attend.
Organised by an interagency steering group, the Kerry Mental Health & Wellbeing Fest is held annually to coincide with World Mental Health Day on 10th October.
Lisa Foley of Maine Valley Family Resource Centre and Steering Committee volunteer, said:
“The Kerry Mental Health & Wellbeing Fest is about creating awareness of the simple, practical things we can all do to support our mental health and wellbeing.
“The programme encourages people to engage with the Five Ways to Wellbeing – Connect | Be Active | Take Notice | Keep Learning | Give.
“We are also inviting people throughout Kerry to become ambassadors for the Fest by promoting the programme through social media, workplaces, organisations, clubs and community groups.
“All events are free, but places at many activities are limited, so we would encourage people to browse the programme and book early.”
Registration is essential for events requiring advance booking and can be completed through the Fest website. Updates will also be available by following #KerryMHWFest on social media.
The Kerry Mental Health & Wellbeing Fest is led by Mental Health Services, HSE South West through Connecting for Life and organised by an Interagency Working Group of local organisations supporting wellbeing in communities throughout Kerry.
The participating agencies include Connecting for Life Kerry, Healthy Kerry, Kerry County Council, Kerry Recreation & Sports Partnership, HSE South West, NEWKD, SKDP, Kerry Mental Health Association, Jigsaw Kerry, Munster Technological University/Kerry, MTU Students’ Union, KCYS, Kerry Volunteer Centre, Kerry Library, National Learning Network, Kerry Education and Training Board, Kerry Public Participation Network (Kerry PPN) and Family Resource Centres throughout the county.
For more information visit KerryMentalHealthAndWellbeingFest.com or email kerrymhwfest20@gmail.com.