AVAFEST 2025 Calendar of Events

Presented by the

Veterans Suicide Prevention Channel
Central Texas, October 17 – November 11, 2025

Friday, October 17, 2025 – Opening Day

• 10:00 AM – Opening Day Ceremony
  Location: Austin Veteran Memorial Park
  Details: Official launch of AVAFEST 2025 honoring veterans, service members, and their families. Ceremony may include guest speakers,

  and color guard presentation, and live music.

• FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 5:30

  VSPChannel AVAFEST

• 2nd Annual Veteran/Military Film Festival Opening Night
  

• Location: AFS Cinema, 6406 I-H 35, Suite 3100, Austin, TX
  Details: Premiere screening of veteran and military-themed films curated by the Veterans Suicide Prevention Channel. Meet filmmakers, veterans, and community leaders celebrating storytelling through film.

Saturday, October 18 –

November 11, 2025

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

VSPCHannel AVAFEST Veterans/Military “Televised Film Festival” will feature 22 films produced by veterans and military: https://veteransartsandwellnessnetwork.org/watch-live/

View it on ROKU TV, too

• Veteran art exhibitions and gallery showcases, 2025

MOUNTED WARRIOR MUSEUM AVAFEST EXHIBIT “HEALING OUR WOUNDS INSIDE” Opens in Killeen, Texas on October 25, 2025 - November 2025. Open To The Public. See art created by veterans through Art Therapy at Fort Killeen and other places. Event Curated by Art Therapist Peter Boutte.

“DIA DE LOS MUERTOS”: at the OLD BAKERY AND EMPORIUM 1006 Congress Boulevard, Downtown Austin Texas: This is the 6th annual Day of The Day of the Dead celebration veterans. that honors America’s veterans. Normally this event takes place at The Mexican American Community Center, but this year, due to construction this event will be at the Old Bakery and Emporium. There will be one large Alter built for the community to bring offerings and pictures of their loved ones and I huge exhibit will display all. Community members are asked not bring a picture that is a one of a kind, it could get lost. Rather bring a copy printed or otherwise. To Participate Contact Curator: Herlinda Zamora 512-974-1314 or send an email to request participation to: herlinda.zamora@austintexas.gov

AVAFEST 2025 EXHIBIT:

AT THE OLD BAKERY & EMPORUIUM:

“The Art of US Veteran “REGGIE THOMAS”. Several choice pieces of the Artwork of Reggie Thomas will be on display at the OLD BAKERY and Emporium. This exhibit is a rare treat and look into the world of art created by one of Texas’s better known artists. Reggie Thomas’s works in several diverse media and you can expect to see many of them on display at the OLD BAKERY and EMPORIUM. Opening Day for this exhibit will be on on October 25, 2025. Be there to enjoy the stare.

2nd ANNUAL

“BEDSIDE MAGIC AND COMEDY SHOW” Back by popular demand!

AVAFEST 2025 PRESENTS: (the popular) “BEDSIDE MAGIC and COMEDY SHOW” at the “DARNALL ARMY HOSPITAL at FORT HOOD” on OCTOBER 31, 2025 in association with the Veterans Suicide Prevention Channel. This years “BEDSIDE MAGIC and COMEDY SHOW will feature Magician J.D. Stewart and Comedians Chris Crawford and Mike Evans. These excellent performers will go from room to room at the Darnall Army Medical Hospital performing for military personnel, their staff and any visiting family members who may be present at the hospital at the time. After they have completed the performances at the hospital they will visit two REHABILITATION Hospital Units and perform in the dorms there. Last years show was a huge success. The performers and the staff had a great time.

AVAFEST 2025 At The

“ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER”

Madeline Cardone, AVAFEST COORDINATOR and DEPARTMENT of Veterans Affairs specialist has created a 4 Day AVAFEST Health and Wellness event to open at the ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER. This center will be hosting this event for all veterans, veterans familiy members, community residents and all members of the Resource Center. (Please see the schedule for these upcoming wellness events below)

FRANKLIN MENDEZ’S

VIETNAM WARRIOR PORTRAIT EXHIBIT at DON DARIOS CANTINA in Austin, Texas.

REKNOWN VETERAN, ARTIST and MEMBER of the Veterans Suicide Prevention Board of Directors, FRANKLIN MENDEZ is offering this very special one day Exhibit at the Don Darios Cantina here in Austin Texas, located at: Don Dario's Cantina 8801 South Interstate 35, Austin, Texas 78744. This wonderful exhibit of portraits of Vietnam Combat veterans features more than 50 portraits and the veterans who will be there to share their stories. Each painting has a number, and the veteran whose portrait was painting has a corresponding number. Come and see the great work of a master artist, Franklin Mendez and meet veterans who served in Vietnam who are willing to share their stories.

AVAFEST 2025 VETERANS ART PAINT OUT!

On October 30, 2025, Veteran KURT RITTERPUSCH, AVAFEST ART COORDINATOR is producing the 2nd Annual “Veterans ART PAINT OUT”. This year the event will be held at ACC on the Highland Campus. All veterans and their family members are invited to participate in this fun event scheduled for October 30, 2025 from 3-5pm. Artsits will be taken to a spot on campus that they will all paint and then a panel of judges will issue first, second and third place awards. Learn more about this event bty contacting Kurt Ritterpusch: ritterpusch.mac@icloud.com

AVAFEST 2025 “ART THERAPIST SEMINAR”

AUSTIN CITY COLLEGE, Highland Campus: October 30, 2025, at 7PM

Co-Sponsored by Austin City College Art Department chair, Peter Bonfitto and the Austin Veteran Arts Festival. Two art therapists who have worked with veterans for years will share insights into how art therapy for soldiers and veterans works and why it is important to use Art Therapy to help to heal veterans who suffer with PTSD and its symptoms such as stress, anxiety, paranoia and depression. This discussion will also be broadcast from the ACC Campus online. Peter Boutte and ___ will be the featured art therapists for this great event at ACC.

CLOSING OF AVAFEST 2025:

AVAFEST 2025 ends at the stroke of midnight November 11, 2025. We ask for a moment of silence and reflection from our local and national communities on that day at that moment.

Don’t Forget to support the VETERANS DAY PARADE on October 8, 2025.

SUPPORT the upcoming Crowdfunding event to create the very first television series in American about healing veterans and preventiong their suicides. This project is written and produced by Glenn Towery, founder of AVAFEST and the Veterans Suicide Prevention Channel

www.mission-transition-condition.com (Website) missiontransitioncondition1@gmail.com (email)