Refest is a community of fixers, makers, artists, tinkerers, and dreamers who believe in circular economy practices, and express them in their own unique ways. Our festival focuses on the 4 R’s - Reuse, Reduce, Repurpose, and Recycle, and we weave together those concepts through an artisan market, swaps, crafts, workshops, speakers, and other creative events. This is the framework on which we have built our festival around showcasing.

The idea for Re-Fest began with Leah Evans, a professional skier and Patagonia ambassador. For years, Leah has been building a mind map for this event while undertaking her own personal upcycling pursuits. She and her co-producer Celine Lussier first brought this idea to life in 2023 with the full support of Patagonia behind them. The festival has shifted shapes over the years, with 2024 focusing more on community engagement thanks to the tireless work of Carmanah Minions.

This event can take place because of the generosity of our sponsors, Patagonia, Tourism Revelstoke, KORE Outdoors, the CSRD, and Cronometer.

Re-Fest also couldn’t happen without our volunteers, and the support of local organizations and community partners such as the Revelstoke Cycling Association, Birch and Lace, Canadian Mountain Holidays, the facilitators of our hands-on-crafts, the help from Arts Revelstoke, and many more.