Thanksgiving Back Revelstoke Cycling Association Dig Day

Thanksgiving Back

Volunteer in Revelstoke and Stay for Free.

Thanksgiving Back is an opportunity to be part of Revelstoke's strong community by volunteering with local organizations on registered volunteer projects. As a thank-you, you can get the accommodation costs during the event dates reimbursed up to $400 when you book two or more nights!

This program takes place on September 19, 20, 21 & 27, 28, weekends leading up to Canadian Thanksgiving. It aims to foster a connection between visitors and our community, support our local non-profits, drive visitation in the shoulder season, and educate visitors on the effort that goes into maintaining our destination.

Weekend One

Friday, Sept 19

Feed the People

The Neighbourhood Kitchen

Meals for Food Bank Clients. Join the Neighbourhood Kitchen and their Red Seal chef to use food recovery items, diverting them from the compost to create healthy meals to be given out in the Food Bank to the communities most vulnerable.

Weekend One

Saturday, Sept 20

two volunteers working at a booth

Luna Fest

Arts Revelstoke

LUNA Fest is a three-day festival presenting a lineup of musical talent, mesmerizing installation art, interactive performances, and family-friendly fun. LUNA Arts (Saturday) is a celebration that transforms the downtown core of Revelstoke. The entire town comes out to play as the sun goes down. Volunteers will assist the Luna Committee with setup, crowd direction and support, or tear down.

Frisby Firewood Party

Revelstoke Snowmobile Club

Join us for our annual firewood party up on Frisby and help us buck up wood and stash logs in the cabin! You'll be treated to stunning views of Revelstoke and the surrounding area, all while contributing to a great cause. It's a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and make a real difference. Come for the work, stay for the views, and leave with a sense of accomplishment!

Weekend One

Sunday, Sept 21

Lawn & Order: Senior Support Division

Community Connections

Enjoy being outside? Spending time in the garden? The smell of fresh-cut grass? In this role, you could have it all! This role is all about helping local Revelstoke seniors catch up on some yard work, harvest from their gardens, prepare their outdoor spaces for winter, or with minor outdoor maintenance.

Railway Day

Revelstoke Railway Museum

Family and community-focused event, highlighting the railway and Revelstoke's heritage. Crafts, Games, Community Partners, etc. Volunteers will help set up, supervise booths, and assist with the tear down.

Food Commons Seasonal Shutdown

LFI & The Indigenous Friendship Society

We're looking for volunteers to join us at the Food Commons for a few a hands-on day of care and connection. Together, we’ll take on seasonal maintenance tasks like pulling weeds, prepping growing spaces, and helping ready the site for winter and spring planning. Your time and energy make a difference to support community food systems. Come meet good people and care for a space rooted in learning, sharing, and nourishment.

Weekend Two

Saturday, Sept 27

Trail Maintenance Dig Day

Revelstoke Cycling Association

Join our Dig Day and spend time working on a section of trail, then go for a ride afterwards and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Volunteers will work with an experienced trail builder on a small maintenance project to either repair or reroute a section of trail. They will learn how to maintain trails and what goes into creating a sustainable trail network.

Weedpull, Bioblitz & Measure

CS Invasive Species & Wildsight

Join CSISS & Wildsight Revelstoke for a day of hands-on stewardship! Start at Kovach Park to remove invasive plants, then head to Mt. Macpherson Nordic Lodge for a guided Bioblitz and tree measuring session in the Inland Temperate Rainforest. Tools and training provided. Bring water, sturdy shoes, and the iNaturalist app. Volunteers must provide their own transport between locations.

Dig In for the Arts

Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre

Calling all garden lovers and creative souls! Help us breathe new life into the public garden space outside Revelstoke’s only non-profit art gallery. We’ll be pulling weeds, planting seedlings, and making the space extra welcoming. Whether you're a green thumb or just want to give back to the arts, we need YOU to help make this spot bloom! Dig in, learn about Revelstoke’s art scene, and help make this community hub even more vibrant!

Weekend Two

Sunday, Sept 28

Inventory, clean, sort 'n huck

Revelstoke Seniors Centre

Help the Revelstoke Seniors Association inventory, sort, clean, and clear out the kitchen, pantry, games, and other equipment. It’s a great chance to help out a cornerstone community organization, work as a team, and bring a little sparkle back to the space. Who knew sorting could be this satisfying?

A group of people sitting outdoors, smiling, with baskets of fresh vegetables and fruits in front of them, near a garden and building.

The Great Garden Wrap-Up

Revelstoke Local Food Initiative Society

As the growing season winds down, we're inviting volunteers to join us in preparing the community garden spaces for the winter. Tasks may include clearing plant material, tidying plots, storing tools, removing irrigation, and helping with light repairs or organization. We may also prepare the land for a greenhouse for 2026. Connect with the land, meet others, and support a shared space that feeds and nourishes our community. All are welcome—no experience necessary!

Tackle School Hunger

The Neighbourhood Kitchen delivers free lunches to every elementary school in Revelstoke. Help us prep and freeze items to be used for these lunches.

A rustic building with a sloped roof sits among trees and mountains under a partly cloudy sky, with a paved area in the foreground.

Forestry Museum Grounds Tidy

Interior BC Forestry Museum

Tackle the Leaves. Tidy the Trees. Prep the Property. Join us for a hands-on volunteer day as we prepare the Forestry Museum grounds and The Riverside Forest Walk for winter! We'll be raking, pruning, clearing trails, and sprucing up the site before the snow flies.

Frequently Asked.

Can I book more than 2 days of accommodations?

Accommodation reservations must take place on the same dates as the project you are registered for, and for a minimum of two nights. You're welcome to stay longer, but reservations will still only be eligible up to a maximum of $400 CAD.

How do I book accommodations?

Accommodations should be booked directly with the accommodations and not through a third-party platform such as Expedia or Booking.com. Use our Referral Engine for direct links to local businesses!

My partner & I are both coming, do we both receive the $400 CAD?

Double occupancy reservations are only eligible for one reimbursement.

I live in Revelstoke, can I take part in this?

Because this is an incentive to encourage travel to Revelstoke, the reimbursement is not available to people with a Revelstoke permanent address, but you're welcome to encourage your family and friends to come out and visit!

How do I receive my reimbursement?

Participants must attend their full volunteer shifts and complete the post-visit survey to be eligible for reimbursement (this will require you to submit a receipt from your hotel stay). Reimbursements may take up to 4 weeks after the event to process.

How can i get involved in the future?

Sign up for our thanksgiving back notification email and follow our social media channels @Revelstoke. We release Thanksgiving Back project details and open registrations annually around July/August.

More Details.

History.

This program started in 2021 and has run every year since! We've brought in over 200 volunteers to our community to assist with 25 different volunteer projects.

What are the volunteer projects?

We've supported 9 different Revelstoke non-profit organizations through this volunteer travel offer. Volunteers have taken part in an annual nocturnal art festival with our local arts organization, removed invasive species from our local trail networks, stocked firewood in backcountry cabins, reorganized museums and art galleries, assisted with trail maintenance, and much more!

Economic Impact.

We've asked volunteer participants to track their spending while on vacation during Thanksgiving Back. We've calculated that this program generated approximately $112k for local businesses in our community.

Get Involved.

Sign-up for 2025 projects is now live. View the signup form.

Sign up for our newsletter, follow our social media channels @Revelstoke. We will release Thanksgiving Back Project details annually in August.

Mandi, Railway Museum volunteer from Trail, BC

"ThanksgivingBack has given us one of the most special and memorable weekends ever. I can wholeheartedly say that while we certainly worked hard, our time at the museum was truly a special and memorable one, complete with a private behind-the-scenes tour after. We left our day deeply fulfilled and floating on a cloud.

We've found some wonderful new friends here thanks to this incentive. We'd like to thank @Revelstoke for giving us an educational, community-oriented, fun experience that we'll never forget. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Revelstoke. We'll be back."

group of people volunteering at art gallery

Thanksgiving Back RVAC - Credit James Buckle @jamesdanielbuckle

group of volunteers at dirt bike club day
Group of women wearing vests and hats, standing together outdoors, with one woman in a pink shirt in the foreground.
family of volunteers at night art festival
planting trees in grassy field
Three people working on a forest trail; one holds a rock, another holds a rake, surrounded by trees and dirt.

I believe anyone who comes into a community with the intention of contributing is a local.

Cathy English
Revelstoke Museum and Archives
Mountain Background

Project Alerts

Get Involved.

Do you want to be notified when we launch new regenerative tourism projects in Revelstoke? Those who sign up to our 'Volunteer Travel Offers' newsletter will hear about them first!
family of volunteers at night art festival