The House of Inspiration (HOI) Network Family Music & Arts Festival at Almont Park in Mattapan is back and bigger than ever.

Founded by Monét Ledbetter-Glaude and presented by Inét Entertainment Corp. and HOI Radio Network, the July 25 festival merges arts and culture with mental health wellness. Attendees can listen to live music, dance their stress away and participate in art-making projects like sneaker painting as well as listen to mental health speakers and connect with organizations providing local resources.

The festival is designed for an intergenerational family crowd. There are bouncy houses, crafts, games and a youth art exhibit to keep young participants entertained, as well as a vendor village of Black-owned businesses and DJ sets to engage adults.

Jazz and hip-hop trumpet player Arnetta Johnson headlines the festival this year. Other acts include Ledbetter-Glaude performing with a choir group ranging in age from six to 60, a puppetry performance under her stage name, Angel Monet, and festival director Dominic Glaude performing an original song called “Give Me Help,” encouraging folks who are struggling to reach out for community support.

“Music is healing. The arts in general are healing,” said Ledbetter-Glaude. “It’s healing for the mind, the body and the soul, and I think it works well with our mental health.”

Glaude, a music educator, notes what a strong impact music has on neurodivergent students who struggle to communicate in other ways, as well as people with dementia who often remember rhythms and beats when much else has faded.

New to the festival this year is a performance by an ensemble from the Four Strings Academy and a series of mental health speakers. Ledbetter-Glaude will also debut the Young Entrepreneur Scholarship honoring her father, Romie L. Ledbetter Sr. The scholarship is available to young entrepreneurs ages 13 to 25.

The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. and is free and open to all.

Glaude estimates the crowd of 100-200 attendees in the first year has ballooned to more than 700 people in the four years the festival has been running. That has resulted in more neighbors getting to know each other and their area.

“Some of the youth that have helped and volunteered, I’ve seen a lot of them step outside of their comfort zone,” said Glaude. “A lot of them have never even been to Almont Park. For them to experience what we have in the community out here, all in one place, is really nice.”

The team isn’t afraid of boots-on-the-ground work to gather the community. Glaude and volunteers do door-to-door canvassing to invite their Mattapan neighbors to the festival. Glaude had the pamphlet translated into Haitian Creole and Spanish to make the information as accessible as possible to the diverse population.

Ultimately, the festival is about creativity and community, both of which are strong components in mental and emotional wellness.

“We really want inspiration in the minds of people, in the hearts of people,” said Ledbetter-Glaude. “And when they leave, I want them to feel a sense of hope.

ON THE WEB

Learn more at inetentertainmentcorp.org/hoi-festival