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.
2025-08-22 Note: We almost sold out. See more details to see if spots remain. Some pending spots may reopen, so check back to see if the project you’re interested in becomes available again.
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

Luna Fest
Arts Revelstoke
An unforgettable experience of art and community, LUNA Fest is a three-day festival presenting a lineup of musical talent, mesmerizing installation art, interactive performances, and family-friendly fun. LUNA Arts is a celebration that transforms the downtown Revelstoke core. The entire town comes out to play as the sun goes 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!
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 yardwork, harvest from the garden, prepare their outdoor spaces for winter, or with minor outdoor maintenance.
Weekend One
Sunday, Sept 21

Railway Day
Revelstoke Railway Museum
Join us for a a family-friendly public gathering designed to bring our community together in celebration, connection, and collaboration. It will feature a variety of activities for all ages, including games, crafts, and music.

Food Commons Seasonal Shutdown
Revelstoke Local Food Initiative
We're looking for volunteers to join us at the Food Commons for 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
Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society and Wildsight Revelstoke
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. *Please Note* - This activity is an environmental education and stewardship event where two organizations are partnering up- Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society and Wildsight Revelstoke and activities will be held in two different locations. Volunteers will need to arrange 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
Join us for a hands-on volunteer day helping 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?

The Great Garden Wrap-Up
Revelstoke Local Food Initiative

Tackle School Hunger
Community Connections
The Neighbourhood Kitchen delivers free lunches to every elementary school in Revelstoke. Help us prep and freeze items to be used for these lunches.
Frequently Asked.
Can I book more than 2 days of accommodations?
How do I book accommodations?
Can I book an AirBnb?
My partner & I are both coming, do we both receive the $400 CAD?
How many shifts must I take part in?
I live in Revelstoke, can I take part in this?
How do I receive my reimbursement?
How can i get involved in the future?
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.
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!
No, Airbnb is a third-party platform and not a direct booking. Please refer to our Referral Engine and our Vacation Rental companies for qualified stays. Check out the local vacation rental companies listed to inquire about full home rentals.
Double occupancy reservations are only eligible for one reimbursement.
You only need to sign up for one shift / one project to qualify for the reimbursement.
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!
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.
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.
What are the volunteer projects?
Economic Impact.
Get Involved.
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.
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!
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.
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."

Thanksgiving Back RVAC - Credit James Buckle @jamesdanielbuckle






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