Revy Re-Fest 2025 is combining a range of activities and strategies for sustainable living into one day Sunday, May 25. From Repair Cafés to the trunk sale, bike swaps to the craft market, workshops to the beloved Birch & Lace Trashion Show, the festival has centralized all its activities and events to one location, the Revelstoke Community Centre.
“It’s a one-stop shop this year,” Leah Evans, festival director told Revelstoke Mountaineer. Hosting Revy Re-Fest 2025 on one day and at one location hasn’t hindered growth, with businesses partnering with Re-Fest for gear swaps, used gear sales and other opportunities this weekend. Other businesses focused on supporting a recirculation economy and reducing waste will also be joining, including Nelson store Free Time Consignment.
“We’ll have all these possible homes for all those things just collecting dust in people’s closets,” Evans said. For some families, Revy Re-Fest offers a chance to sell outgrown kids outfits and find some new pieces at affordable prices. For others, the sale of gently-loved sport and outdoor recreation gear can mean a financially accessible intro to mountain biking, skiing and boarding.
Revy Re-Fest 2025 isn’t just about selling items to a new home, with a range of repair courses, reuse workshops and art opportunities also hosted Sunday, May 25. The staple repair cafés have become a hot resource in town, with many reaching out to Evans throughout the year to try and track one down or find other ways to repair items.
“People tell me they’ve been saving stuff up to be fixed when they probably wouldn’t have taken that initiative, it would have just been thrown out. I’ve kind of become this go-to hub for people.”
Now Evans has a growing network of resources, folks and businesses in town that can help folks breathe a bit more life into appliances, electronics, clothing and more. One of those resources soon to open will also get to play host for another Revy Re-Fest event; Mountain Archives will provide technical garment repairs and secondhand outdoor gear to the community. It will also host the sold out Re-Think: an Evening of Rethinking Waste panel. Evans is excited to help introduce one more repair resource to town with the co-led event.
“I’m really excited about getting people in this mode of rethinking about how to use all this waste before they throw it in the trash,” Evans said.
The growth of the festival has outpaced organizational resources, and volunteers are vital to its success.
“I’m super passionate about this and I feel like now we’ve got a good community recognition,” Evans explained when talking how canceling the event wasn’t in the cards this year.
But keeping Revy Re-Fest free for all to attend in the future will mean community partner support. Evans is open to help through sponsorships, organization or other opportunities.
“I’m excited to showcase the creativity people have in reusing things and keeping things out of the landfills. Community members are really stepping up to show those things.”
Revy Re-Fest 2025 runs Sunday, May 25 at the Revelstoke Community Centre. For a full list of events, workshops, repair cafés and more check the Revy Re-Fest website. The festival is still accepting volunteers and the Birch & Lace Trashion show is still taking contestants
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