![Mad Pride March - COURTESY OF MAD FREEDOM](https://media2.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/41331821/madpriderally.jpg)
- courtesy of Mad Freedom
- Mad Pride March
First up is the Mad Pride March, taking place on Saturday, July 13, in downtown Burlington. Initially conceived and started in Toronto, Ontario, in 1993, Mad Pride is a celebration organized by psychiatric survivors and those suffering from mental illness; the event was envisioned as a way to battle discrimination, fight for rights and increase communication within the community. The movement soon spread across the globe, everywhere from Brazil to Madagascar to South Korea.
For the past three years in Vermont, a collection of organizations, spearheaded by the Poultney-based nonprofit MadFreedom, has brought the Mad Pride March to Burlington. In previous years, Montpelier and Brattleboro hosted the event.
This year's iteration starts with a noon meetup at the Hood Plant parking lot on King Street. Once everyone is organized, the march starts, with the procession moving down Church Street and arriving at Battery Park around 1 p.m. There will be a series of speakers and tables for assorted organizations such as Pathways Vermont, Another Way and Disability Rights Vermont, capped off by a performance from singer-songwriter and psychiatric survivor Sunny War. Her 2023 album, Anarchist Gospel, was singled out by Rolling Stone as one of "The 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2023."
![Sunny War - COURTESY OF JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS](https://media2.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/41331822/sunnywar.jpg)
- courtesy of Joshua Black Wilkins
- Sunny War
To register for the march, visit madfreedom.org/madpride.
Also happening on Saturday, July 13, is the third annual Peace.Fest in Lincoln. Held at the Sunray Meditation Society, a Buddhist dharma organization, the Peace.Fest is a completely substance-free music festival — so leave the beer and weed at home, folks.
![Mal Maïz - LUKE AWTRY ©️ SEVEN DAYS](https://media1.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/41331823/afro-caribbean-dance-party-courtesy-of-luke-awtry-cutline-mal-maiz.jpeg)
- Luke Awtry ©️ Seven Days
- Mal Maïz
For more information and tickets, check out sunray.org/peacefest.
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