A cool breeze blew as the scorching sun touched Hopkins Park and the comforting tune of instruments danced along the breeze, marking the start of the Burning Cicada Arts and Music Festival.
From 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in Hopkins Park, the Burning Cicada Festival featured a collection of artists and musicians who performed and shared their work. They invited anyone who struggles with and experiences addiction to open up about their troubles as well as offer a helping hand.
During the festival, community resource organizations such as Safe Passage, the National Alliance on Mental Illnesses, the Family Service Agency and the Ben Gordon Center Mobile Living Room were present with guides and information on what they do.
Each organization specializes in providing support for victims, whether they be children, adults or families as a whole, and helps them to rebuild and recover.
As the hours slowly rolled by, more visitors arrived at the festival like the ebb and flow of a tide, each engaging in friendly conversation with their peers as if they were old friends.
Some visitors took their seats on the bleachers in front of the stage while others chose to make themselves comfortable on the grass nearby underneath the outstretched branches of large trees, staring into the endless blue sky occupied only by the glaring sun.
Activities and goodies such as bubbles, coloring pages, free t-shirts and free water bottles were also available.
Caricature artist Wayne Roe also created live art for any visitors interested in the process.
Brochures and other documents of information were available in the shelter building for any new visitors that were unfamiliar with NAMI and the other community organizations.
Kyle Arand, an intern with NAMI, is grateful for being able to work with the organization and describes how interacting with people who have gone through similar experiences can be greatly beneficial.
“NAMI is, kind of, led by people who have family members or people who have their own mental conditions, and I think it’s really nice that it works that way,” Arand said. “That means people can relate in groups on more of a personal level.”
Valerie Romero, a youth program coordinator of NAMI, shared her goals and wants to spread knowledge about the “Ending the Silence” program.
“I really want to get youth groups expanded and by that create an environment for high school and college students in which they can learn about mental illnesses and the symptoms, warning signs, how to ask for help and where to find help,” Romero said. “For our “Ending the Silence” program, it is a 50-minute presentation for school, staff and community members of a general understanding of what mental health symptoms look like and is a great opportunity. We cater to any classroom and any environment.”
The Burning Cicada Festival welcomed visitors to listen to the tear-jerking stories of several guest speakers, including writers Jana Roe and Steve Deiss, and their struggle with addiction.
Roe, writer of her novel “Burned: My Journey Through Addiction,” spoke about her experience with addiction and how everyone should remember that the addiction shouldn’t win, you have to win.
“Addiction is not something that people are comfortable talking about, and we need to talk about it,” Roe said. “There is a lot of shame when you admit something that you have done wrong. Having an addiction is not something that I ever wanted for myself or my kids, but I speak about it because I am flawed. I am not perfect, and I want people to see that just because of the person I was doesn’t mean that is the person I have to be today.”
The Burning Cicada Festival will return next year on Sept. 20 and invites anyone who is struggling with addiction and needs a helping hand to check it out.
