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Feel Fest City
The heart of Feel Fest City is on 1st St in front of the Fox Theater.
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We guarantee you’ll be excited to find out about all of the amazing opportunities in the community and beyond that can benefit you or someone you knows wellness.
Participants will receive a Feel Fest Ticket at the end of each workshop or after engaging with at least 5 booths to be redeemed at the Feel Fest booth for snacks, drinks or Merch.
You wont want to miss a stop at all of the booths that are coming to Feel Fest this year.Please make sure to arrive early, 12:30pm, to sign up for workshops.
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There will also be paint throwing booth, a paint booth, sidewalk chalk art, and a fan favorite, Feelix the Feel Fest Mascot photo booth.
Plenty of delicious food will be on hand with local food trucks and their many delicious offerings for all Feel Fest attendees .
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Come watch the festivals special feature film, The Wisdom of Trauma. Feel Fest is proud to present best selling author Gabor Mate’s acclaimed documentary film to festival attendees.
*Following the film we invite you to stay for a panel discussion, featuring all of Feel Fest 2026 workshop presenters for a community discussion.
Closing Ceremony
We hope you join us for our final Feel Fest event of 2026 in the plaza, where we will have community candle-lighting and settle in to have Cocoa with Coco. We invite attendees to bring chairs and blankets and curl up with a delicious cup of hot cocoa or any other delicious treat at the Fest, as we watch the Movie Coco under the stars until its time to say goodbye until next year.
Workshops/ Booths
FREE ENTRY
Grab a map and sign up! Feel Fest moves into downtown where a series of creative mental wellness workshops in various locations await you. Art, music therapy, tips and tricks for anxiety and stress, for all ages, and so much more! Redeemable ticket after each workshop towards Feel Fest merch booth! 20+ booths with free information on programs and resources.
LOCATION: The block between
1st St in front of the Fox Theater
TIME: 1:00 PM – 4:45 PM
*Arrive early to sign up for workshops
*participants will receive a Feel Fest Ticket at the end of each workshop or after engaging with at least 5 booths to be redeemed at the Feel Fest booth for snacks, drinks or Merch.
Can You Feel Me?
Have ever hard a hard time feeling your body or lost track of your feet touching the ground when you walk?If you need some tools to help you feel less anxious, be more present in difficult moments or to help to start your day out on the right path this workshop is probably for you. Participants will be given somatic, body based tools that anyone can use to get your nervous system back on track.
Bio: Samantha Canales - is an artist, published writer and grief counselor who has led grief support groups, public art therapy projects and trauma related workshops around the country. She is the facilitator for the weekly grief support groups that are free and open to the entire community here in Hutchinson each Tuesday from 6 - 7:30 pm at 317 W 2nd St.
The Grief Tree Project
Join the Grief Tree Project and paint a tree! Bring your artistic mind and your big heart and grab a paintbrush. Participants will get a chance to paint a grief tree that will be one of many that will be planted around Hutchinson! Once planted, members of the community will be able to write the name of a loved one they've lost and hang them on these beautiful works of art throughout our community.
*Please note that community members will have a chance to adopt a grief tree to be planted on their property following the workshops in the plaza. 
Say It Out Loud: Open Mic Comedy & Poetry
Hosted by Bret A. ThomasCome together at the Chester I. Lewis Plaza to express yourself, connect with others, and share a little laughter. Poetry can help us put difficult emotions into words, comedy can help us find new perspectives, and sharing our voices with a supportive audience can help us feel heard and less alone. Whether you come to perform or just listen, this workshop celebrates creativity, connection, and the power of saying it out loud!
Intro to Feeling
Bio: Chyann Morey is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of Satori Therapy in McPherson, KS. She specializes in working with people who have experienced complex trauma - the kind that builds quietly over time through life experiences rather than one big event. Chyann has her own experiences with shame and trauma and it is a big part of what brought her to this work. It is why she is so passionate about creating spaces where others are safe enough to feel. She is committed to meeting people where they are and believes that healing is accessible to anyone with a little curiosity and willingness.Most of us were never really taught what to do with our feelings - and a lot of us grew up learning that having them was a problem. In this workshop, we’re going back to basics.
Intro to Feeling is a gentle, no-jargon conversation about emotions: what they are, why we have them, and why they’re not something to be embarrassed about. We’ll talk about how the families and environments we grew up in shaped the way we learned to handle (or not handle) our inner world - and how those patterns often follow us into adulthood without us even realizing it. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what it looks like to actually notice your emotions and take care of yourself in the moment - no previous experience or background required. Just come as you are.
Platicas from the Heart
Platica means conversation.
Conversations from the heart. Come Join this year’s Platicas host, Chucc Crumble as community members gather in the plaza to share stories of loss, struggles and hope, as others listen. In this open air workshop, where storytelling becomes a conversation, with a speaker and a listener, participants will learn the skill of conscious listening and the physical and mental health benefits it can bring to their lives. Will you be the speaker or the listener?
Healing Through Relational Care & Song
Bio: Khyah Van Es is a Singer-Songwriter and Multidisciplinary Artist centered in community care. They have performed professionally with bands, choirs, theaters, and a solo project for 10+ years. Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, they find deep enjoyment in admiring life, creation, and collaboration - especially away from home! They spent two years as a Core Organizer for Black Rainbow, an Abolitionist organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, and they spent 2 years living and volunteering in New Orleans, Louisiana. You can follow Khyah on Instagram @earthangelyukiKhy and Madi will guide a session made for deepening your care practice and soothing the nervous system. Through the natural co-regulation of song and meditation, we will connect, first, to our own deepest needs, then with others. By the end of the workshop we hope to elicit a feeling of mutual holding of each other and ourselves.
Bio: Madi Laughlin is a folk-soul musician & singer/songwriter, reveler of God, educator, textile artist, and community partner based in Wichita, KS. They specialize in relational care and education, having attended many care-specialized gatherings through their travels in Switzerland and the U.S., including Swiss Rainbow, Queer Meditations Circle of Bern, and Küche für Alles community kitchen at Quai du Bas, Biel/Bienne.
You can find Madi in their musical projects: Sunblush (@sunblushband, prairie fem-folk) and Yaouei (@yaouei) (ethereal folk), or working in private and public instrumental and vocal music education. Be sure to listen to the ‘Gently’ EP by Madi Laughlin on any streaming platform, and follow @madilaughin to keep up with their travels & music!
The Brick Wall: Acknowledge
What are you carrying—and how is it shaping the direction of your life? The Brick Wall is an interactive introduction to Acknowledge, the first step of the ENDURE Framework. Through storytelling, personal reflection, and a memorable visual exercise, Dakotah Sanders invites participants to recognize what may still be influencing them today. Participants will leave with greater awareness, a renewed sense of personal agency, and one intentional direction forward.
Bio: Dakotah Sanders is a published author, Certified Level 2 Peer Support Specialist and Peer Mentor, Certified Case Manager, and founder of ENDURE. Drawing from lived experience and long-term recovery, he helps people understand how adversity shapes their lives and discover the courage to move forward with purpose, hope, and intentional direction.
Art therapy
Rachel Beyda, LPCC, ATR-P, is an independently licensed mental health counselor and grief group facilitator with a duel Master's degree in Art Therapy and Counseling. She specializes in grief and trauma support, using a combination of modalities including somatic work, Rogerian techniques, DBT, and ecopsychology. She works with high-needs populations in person in central New Mexico, and facilitates a free weekly online grief that is open for anyone across the country (and beyond) to join. 
A Moment to Breathe: Meditation for Every Age
Bio: Madi Moore is the founder of Self-Love Actualized LLC, a Certified Breathwork Facilitator, Meditation Facilitator, and Self-Love Practitioner. Her own experience with meditation has helped her calm her nervous system, move through difficult emotions, reconnect with herself, and find greater clarity and inner peace. She is passionate about helping people of all ages discover simple, accessible tools for navigating overwhelm and creating more peace, connection, and self-love in their everyday lives.This welcoming 30-minute workshop introduces meditation in a simple and approachable way for children, adults, and families. Participants will learn how meditation and intentional breathing can help calm the body, settle the mind, and provide support during overwhelming moments. They will then experience a guided meditation and learn an easy breathing technique they can use wherever they are.
Crumb Back to Earth
In this workshop you'll decorate a cookie while learning valuable skills on coping in high stress situations. Workshop host, Hannah Countryman, has a lifetime of experience utilizing self regulation tools that help you find your calm place in the middle of a storm. Get it straight from the source! Hannah has years of navigating the system and the life of parenting multiple children with special needs. Whether you're a parent seeking something that can make your days a little easier or anyone who may be looking for an honest conversation on how one can lose themselves in a moment and then find solid ground again, this judgment free zone is for you.
Mental Health 101
Bio: Beth Akins- Beth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Kansas State University and her Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas. She is a Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor. She spent the first 25 years of her career at Horizons as Department Head of Community Support Services, working with adults with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness, she now teaches Mental Health First Aid (Teen, Youth and Adult versions), ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer – suicide prevention).Mental health affects every aspect of our daily lives, yet knowing how to talk about it isn't always easy. Join us for Mental Health 101, an introductory presentation designed to build foundational knowledge, break down common misconceptions, and reduce stigma. Participants will learn how to recognize early signs of mental health challenges, explore practical coping strategies, and gain confidence in connecting themselves or loved ones to helpful resources.
THE SUBTLE WISDOM OF ADDICTION
Bio, Wayne Mastin: After a series of traumatic and agonizing experiences, I spent a decade trying to cope by abusing alcohol. I drank recklessly for many years, which manifested in a handful of DUIs,
the loss of my family and numerous jobs, homelessness, jail, an array of mental health
facility and treatment center admissions, and an extended tenancy in sober-living
environments. Although my first career was in ministry, I've since filled several roles in the helping and
support fields. I’ve spoken to countless audiences on many hundreds of occasions to
deliver messages of empowerment and compassion. As a speaker, my ultimate aim is to dispel the stigma associated with substance abuse and to reframe the “addiction” conversation in productive and progressive ways. Lived experience has taught me: addicts are much more than clinical fodder; they’re creative, passionate, and thoughtful human beings, whose insights have the potential to change both minds and paradigms.Recovering addicts have access to experiences and insight the typical person may not appreciate or understand. The wisdom we’ve gained from our hardships and our mistakes offers us a unique and powerful perspective from which we can begin to rebuild our lives and the relationships we’ve damaged. This isn’t society’s wisdom; it’s ours – and we can learn to use it in REstorative and TRANSformative ways. Here are just two:
●Facing Stigma
●Fixing Relationships
Feelix’s Minecraft Animal Sanctuary
“Let’s Build an Zoo!”, says Feelix, “Hey Feel Festers, my name is Feelix! My friends Micheal and Kaleb from Vytal Esports want your help. We want your help to build comfortable homes for all of the wonderful creatures of Minecraft!
There will be 4 sessions of this workshop for people to sign up for, so bring your creativity and let's explore!
If you missed out or can't finish your build, don't worry! Sunday, October 11th, the server will be open for anyone to join remotely!
After the festival is over, anyone can download the world, meet the animals, and explore the Sanctuary that we built together!
Anxiety: Understanding the relationship between mind and body
Bio: Welcome! I am Alexa Munger. First, I am the wife to my amazing husband, Clark, who is my best friend and a therapist as well. Next, I am the momma to my 3 wonderful children. And finally, I run my own private practice as a Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist here in Hutchinson. For six years, I have had the privilege of getting to do impactful and meaningful work for this community. I feel incredibly blessed to get the opportunity to work with such amazing people. If I am not doing therapy at the office, I am usually enjoying time with my family on the farm, baking something in the kitchen, or planning new business adventures for myself and my husband.Journal. Go on a Walk. Deep Breathe. All the things you have probably been told to do when anxiety starts to hit your body. And don’t get me wrong, those can be effective tips for anxiety; then it comes back, in the next hour, the next day. What if there was more to anxiety than just coping with it? What if there was more to understand? What if there were ways to effectively practice real change? Come find out.
FREE ENTRY
Activities
LOCATION: The block between 1st St in front of the Fox Theater
TIME: 1:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Feel Fest activities: Paint throwing booth, sidewalk chalk art, and a fan favorite, Feelix the Feel Fest Mascot photo booth.
Plenty of delicious food will be on hand with local food trucks and their many delicious offerings for all Feel Fest attendees.
Enjoy Live Music in the Plaza from 5:30pm - 7:30pm.
FREE ENTRY
Movies
LOCATION: The Fox Theater
TIME: 5:15 PM
Come watch the festivals special feature film, The Wisdom of Trauma. Feel Fest is proud to present best selling author Gabor Mate’s acclaimed documentary film to festival attendees.
-Following the film we invite you to stay for a panel discussion, featuring all of Feel Fest 2026 workshop presenters for a community discussion.
FREE ENTRY
Closing Ceremony
LOCATION: Hutch Rec Plaza
TIME: 5:15 PM
We hope you join us for our final Feel Fest event of 2026 in the plaza, where we will have community candle-lighting and settle in to have Cocoa with Coco.
We invite attendees to bring chairs and blankets and curl up with a delicious cup of hot cocoa or any other delicious treat at the Fest, as we watch the Movie Coco under the stars until its time to say goodbye.