District216 "Mental Wellness & Psychedelics" Marquee Event

🌈 District216 Presents:
Mental Wellness & Psychedelics

✨ A Marquee Evening of Healing, Exploration, and Connection ✨
🗓️ Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 5–10PM | LoDo Studios, Santa Barbara, CA

🔥 A ONE-OF-A-KIND NIGHT AWAITS 🔥 

Join us for an unforgettable experience at District216’s next Marquee Event—an exclusive gathering at the crossroads of mental wellness and psychedelic exploration.

🌟 Explore, Expand, and Elevate 🌟

Whether you’re a seasoned psychonaut, a wellness seeker, or simply curious—this evening is designed to inspire, educate, and ignite your journey.

🚀 Space is limited—RSVP today and step into the future of healing!

🌟 Expect an immersive journey featuring 🌟

• 🎤 Fireside Chats & Discussion Panels with visionary leaders

• 🎵 Live Music and Visual Performances

• 🌀 Interactive Workshops and Experiential Activations

• 🛋️ Rooftop Terpene Lounge & ✨ Curated Vendor Marketplace

• 🥘 Dinner by The Blue Owl & 🍹 Functional Elixirs

🎟️ ALL-INCLUSIVE TICKETS 🎟️

🔥 FIRESIDE CHAT: 

• Dr. Remi Drozd, Lucid Therapeutics 
• Rebecca Ruiz, Wellness Director

🗣️ DISCUSSION PANEL: 

• Lyubov Yusufova, Yogi & Doctoral Candidate (CIIS)
• Erica Salyn, RN, Integrative Nursing Advocate 
• Anonymous 5MEO-DMT Practitioner
• Moderated by Kat Walsh, Founder of Trip On This

🎵 LIVE MUSIC: 

• To be announced! 
• Visuals by Michael Strauss

꩜ WORKSHOPS:

• To be announced! 

🥘 DINNER: The Blue Owl 

🧉 ELIXIRS: Functional, Non-Alcoholic Elixirs & Enlightening Beverages

🛋️ TERPENE LOUNGE: Enjoy Top Shelf products in our Rooftop Terpene Lounge

🏷️ VENDORS: Health, Wellness, Healing & Conscious Products & Services 

🌀 IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES: To be announced!

🌈 VISUAL EXPERIENCES: 

• Projections by UDOTAI
• Visuals by Michael Strauss 
• Experience Curation by Decelorator Lightsmith Visual
• Visual Alchemy by Altarbeast

💥 COST + WHEN + WHERE 💥

🌟🌟🌟 MARQUEE MEMBERS: Free Admission! (Become A Member Today)

🌟🌟 TDH + ONLINE MEMBERS: Discounted Tickets

🎟️ GUESTS WELCOME: We welcome guests to purchase NEWLY DISCOUNTED tickets!

• $89 Early Bird Ticket (Til May 1)
• $109 Mid Bird Ticket (May 2 - 16)
• $139 Day Of Ticket (May 17)

🎉 (Note: Pricing has been reduced from 2024!)

🗓️ WHEN: Saturday, May 17 | 5:00pm–10:00pm

🕰️ EVENT TIMELINE:

• Doors: 5:00pm
• Dinner & Vendors: 5:15pm
• Speakers: 6:15pm
• Music: 8:00pm
• Wind Down: 10:00pm

📍 WHERE: LoDo Studios — 216 E. Gutierrez St, Santa Barbara, CA

🚗 PARKING: Available across the street (OfficeMax side only)

🎤 SPEAKER BIOS - FIRESIDE CHAT 🎤

Dr. Remi Drozd, DO, Medical Director, Lucid Therapeutics - Dr. Drozd is a board-certified physician and the founder of Lucid Therapeutics, a leading center for psychedelic-assisted therapy and integrative mental health in Santa Barbara. With a background in emergency medicine and a deep commitment to whole-person healing, Dr. Drozd blends clinical expertise with a heart-centered approach to care. His work focuses on ketamine therapy, integrative wellness, and creating safe, structured spaces for transformation. At Lucid, he leads a multidisciplinary team offering evidence-based treatments designed to restore connection—mind, body, and spirit. In this fireside chat, Dr. Drozd will be joined by a client to share real stories of healing, resilience, and the power of psychedelic medicine.

Rebecca Ruiz - Rebecca is a California native and UCSB alum with a career rooted in wellness and hospitality. After decades of navigating treatment-resistant depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSI, she has worked closely with an experienced psychiatrist and mental health professionals in Santa Barbara to explore a wide range of therapeutic approaches. Most recently, she has integrated psychedelic-assisted therapies into her healing journey, bringing a thoughtful, evidence-informed perspective to the conversation around mental health and resilience.

🗣️ SPEAKER BIOS - DISCUSSION PANEL 🗣️

Lyubov Yusufova - Yusufova is an initiated yogi and Doctor of Psychology student at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)—an institution renowned for its pioneering integration of Eastern and Western philosophies. When psychedelic experiences defied the confines of Western rationalism, Lyubov discovered in Eastern philosophy not only a profound resonance, but more importantly, practical tools for cultivating similar states more sustainably. This led to her initiation into an ashram for intensive contemplative practice where she conducted field research on the psychotherapeutic mechanisms of mystical states of consciousness, presented at Harvard Medical School and international consciousness science conferences. Lyubov is now dedicated to serving others through the interface of clinical psychology, consciousness, and comparative mystical experience, bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern psychedelic science.

Erica Salyn - Erica is a Registered Nurse with fifteen years’ experience working mostly in the emergency department while openly and empathetically caring for anyone that comes through the doors. She holds a Bachelor of Medical Science - Honours Specialization in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and a Bachelor of Science of Nursing with Honours. Originally from Barrie, Ontario, Canada, a love for travel, the outdoors, and adventure has landed her at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and Modern Medicine Services in Burbank, CA. As an avid backpacker, snowboarder, mountain biker, and gardener, from a young age Erica has experienced the restorative energy of nature and is passionate about the evolving research and therapeutic applications of modalities beyond the traditional. Through her experience working in the emergency department, Erica has learned the importance of holistic healing, while weaving traditional nursing practice with complementary modalities to nurture a person in their entirety. Erica's nursing philosophy centers around empowering individuals to explore the innate healing power of the connectedness of mind, body, spirit, and nature. Through personal experience with family members’ addiction to alcohol, family history of anxiety and depression, her own traumatic brain injury and perimenopausal journey, Erica has developed a devotion to cultivating an integrative approach to mental wellbeing; including the exploration and research of utilizing psychedelics. Erica’s journey into integrative nursing practice is rooted in a belief that true mental well-being blossoms from a place of self-love and that psychedelics can play an integral role in helping some achieve this. She believes that deeper connections within us is the foundation for more harmonious and compassionate connections with others.

Anonymous 5MEO-DMT Practitioner - This experienced 5MEO-DMT practitioner specializes in guiding high-risk and sensitive populations through profound, heart-centered journeys. With a focus on trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and integration support, they create safe, sacred spaces for navigating ego dissolution, emotional healing, and spiritual awakening. Their practice blends indigenous wisdom, somatic modalities, and modern therapeutic frameworks to honor the deeply transformative nature of the medicine.

Kat Walsh (Moderator) - Kat Walsh is a multitalented show host, inspirational speaker, thought leader and founder of the popular psychedelic platform Trip On This. Featured in prominent publications like Forbes, Kat creates an accessible bridge for those new to their psychedelic and spiritual path. Prior to launching Trip On This in December 2020, Walsh worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry working with talent at Creative Artist Agency (CAA), developing series as Director of Development at Edyson Entertainment, and overseeing major marketing campaigns for BMW, HBO, and Freeform. While life looked glamorous on the outside, it often felt like a monotony of routine and endless stress. It wasn't until psychedelics entered the picture did life transform from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Kat has now dedicated her life to helping others uncover their own power and potential.An avid lover of electronic music, Kat also began DJing in 2020 with the intention of creating an atmosphere of joy, love and self-expression. She plays a range of music from house to disco leaving everywhere she goes buzzing with good vibes.

🎨 ARTIST BIOS - PERFORMANCES 🎨

TBD

Michael Strauss (Performer) - A visionary VJ, digital artist, and event producer from Los Angeles,California, who has been crafting mesmerizing psychedelic audiovisual experiences and immersive environments for nearly two decades. His stunning visuals have brought life to countless events, enhancing the performances of numerous artists and transforming reality through technology and creativity. Michael's work is renowned for its ability to open hearts, lift spirits, and blow minds. Throughout his career, Michael has collaborated with a diverse array of top electronic music producers, DJs, and live bands, including notable names such as The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, DJ Z-Trip, Infected Mushroom, and Dirtwire. His visuals have graced the stages of various arts and music festivals, such as Burning Man, Lightning in a Bottle, and Symbiosis, as well as iconic venues like the Orpheum Theater, House of Blues, and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Michael's innovative work has led to collaborations with psychedelic legends like Alex Grey and Shpongle. In 2018, he was chosen as the official VJ for the Bicycle Day 75th Anniversary Tour, where he remixed Alex Grey's art. He also curated the "Augmented Visions" exhibition at Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors museum in 2019.

🧿 FACILITATOR BIOS - WORKSHOPS 🧿

Workshop: TBD

Facilitator: TBD

Workshop: TBD

Facilitator: TBD

Workshop: TBD

Facilitator: TBD

🧠  BECOME A DISTRICT216 MEMBER TODAY 🧠

Find a Membership Plan that suits your needs: https://app.district216.com