KORE Re-Hub To Attend Revy Re-Fest

Photo by T. Davis and courtesy of Patagonia.

Every year, 39,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing from around the world are dumped into the arid Atacama Desert in Chile. That’s enough fabric to fill over 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools and that number only takes into consideration clothes; who knows how many used ski boots, tents, and other gear are thrown into landfills annually.

The goal of the Revy Re-Fest is to help curb this waste. Launched in May 2023 by Leah Evans, the founder of Girls Do Ski, the two-day festival in Revelstoke is “all about repairing gear and keeping it going,” she says. Inspired by the global-movement of repair cafés, Evans pitched the idea about a local repair and reuse event to Patagonia and the company came on board as the primary sponsor. It sent it’s repair truck to be on site and Evans says about 6,500 people attended over the two days.

The textile graveyard of the Atacama Desert in Chile.

Patagonia is unable to support the second-annual event May 25-26, 2024 and so KORE is stepping in and hosting a Re-Hub Repair Pop-Up on both days. The pop-up will feature the sewing and repair expertise of Hannah DeBoer-Smith from OG Repairs in Nelson and Jasmine Loh of Kimberley. Both women have experience repairing technical clothing as well as packs, bags, tents, sleeping bags and shoes. They work with nylon, polyester, neoprene, leather, wool, fleece, webbing and PVC among other materials and have repaired gear used for paddling, camping, hunting, running, hiking, forestry, winter and ski activities.

Aside from the KORE Re-Hub Repair Pop-Up, the following other events and experiences will be offered at the 2024 Revy Re-Fest:

  • KORE Re-Hub Repair Pop-Up

    Hannah DeBoer-Smith and Jasmine Loh will be on site helping repair technical clothing as well as packs, bags, tents, sleeping bags and more.

  • Repair Cafe

    The Repair Cafe is a place that you can to learn how to repair everyday items with the guidance of knowledgeable volunteers.

  • Re-Craft Market

    Shop from a selection of local artists who have created goods from upcycled materials.

  • Hands-On Craft Stations

    There will be a variety of free, hands-on craft stations where you can learn a new skill for repurposing or repairing.

  • Printing With Plants Workshop

    Natural dye artist Jaime Kraus offers a hands-on workshop about how to print with plants on an upcycled bandana and/or personal item.

  • Trashion Show

  • Patagonia’s new film "Shitthropocene"

  • Bike, Book & Clothing Swap

    The Revelstoke Community Centre will be the site of a bike swap, hosted by the Revelstoke Cycling Association, a book swap, and a clothing swap for kids and adults.

  • Trunk Sale

    It’s a garage sale, from the backs of cars.

  • Natural Dye Bath Workshop

    Natural dye artist Jaime Kraus in a 1-hour workshop that will show how to use botanical dyes to give new life to an upcycled clothing item.

“It’s so great that KORE and the Re-Hub will be onsite for this year’s event,” Evans says. “It’s my goal to make the 2024 Re-Fest more interactive, more tangible. Especially given our economy right now, I think it’s important that people interact, trade and get inspired to think about quality and about local initiatives and businesses.”

For more about the Revy Re-Fest, visit re-fest.com.

The KORE Re-Hub initiative is made possible by the provincial government’s REDIP grant that supports projects promoting economic diversification, resilience, clean growth opportunities, and infrastructure development throughout rural BC. For more about the grant and the other KORE initiatives it will help support, read our “Kore Awarded REDIP Funding” story.