Published on March 24, 2026
Downtown Wasco will come alive with music, art and meaningful conversation on Saturday, March 28, as the second annual World Bipolar Day Mental Health Awareness and Arts Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, public event is co-founded by Veronica Jacuinde—Editor-in-Chief of the Wasco Tribune and the 2025 NAMI Mental Health Advocate of the Year,—alongside Gilberto Reyna, Mayor Pro-Term of Wasco.
Courtesy of Veronica Jacuinde: Avianna Arroyo explores her imagination during a guided painting workshop led by artist instructor Carmen Herrera at Wasco’s 2025 World Bipolar Day Mental Health Awareness and Arts Festival.
The festival was born from an unexpected journey. About a year and a half ago, Jacuinde signed up for a course on how to write a book in 90 days. While researching for that book, she discovered the International Society of Bipolar Disorders and their global World Bipolar Day celebrations, held every year on March 30—the birthday of Vincent van Gogh.
“I didn’t do the book,” she says, “but it was in the process of researching my book that I came up with this event.”
The research is still ongoing, and Jacuinde hopes to travel to Mexico City this year to meet with one of the leading theorists on the connection between bipolar disorder and creativity.
Courtesy of Veronica Jacuinde: Artist Leo Alvarez painted an 8-by-8 mural inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” at Wasco’s 2025 World Bipolar Day Mental Health Awareness and Arts Festival.
That connection is at the core of everything the festival celebrates.
“There’s a strong connection between bipolar and creativity—that’s why I created this mental health awareness and arts festival,” Jacuinde says. “Art is central to our event.”
The festival honors the legacy of Vincent van Gogh, whose life has come to symbolize that bond, and features local artists—including those living with bipolar disorder—whose work offers a glimpse into the lived experience of the condition.
Courtesy of Veronica Jacuinde: NAMI of Kern County attended last year, providing valuable mental health resources and educational materials at Wasco’s 2025 World Bipolar Day Mental Health Awareness and Arts Festival
For Jacuinde, the mission is personal and driven by the need to support and celebrate our Kern County community. Organizing the event led her to a turning point.
“It led me to actually come out of the closet and publicly share that I have bipolar,” she says. “It’s been a profound experience.”
Following the festival, she plans to launch a support group for women living with bipolar disorder.
Courtesy of Veronica Jacuinde: Artist Axzay Villarreal with her Vincent van Gogh clay sculpture and more at Wasco’s 2025 World Bipolar Day Mental Health Awareness and Arts Festival
The day promises something for everyone. Attendees can look forward to live paint workshops inspired by Van Gogh’s iconic sunflower series, a live mural painting, performances by a professional ballet folklórico dance group, live music including a band that regularly performs at a local casino, and a $100 Visa gift card dance competition.
Courtesy of Veronica Jacuinde: Planet Dance Studio performers on stage at the inaugural World Bipolar Day event in Downtown Wasco
Over 20 mental health resource organizations and educational booths, plus food vendors, including Mister Dimples, will also be on site, along with a trackless train for rides.The event is free and open to the public, with hundreds expected to attend. For more information, visit www.worldbipolar.com.
