Revelstoke Winter Carnival

PSA: REVELSTOKE WINTER CARNIVAL - COMMUNITY UPDATE

Revelstoke Winter Carnival will be taking a pause in 2026 as we regroup, rebuild capacity, and plan for a sustainable return.

This event has been a labour of love — a tradition and celebration we felt inspired and excited to bring back for the community of Revelstoke. 

Over the past year, life has brought some unexpected challenges. Allie’s family needed her in a very real way, and travel to the United States to support her mom through the end of her life became necessary. With her very recent passing, this fall and winter would have been the core planning window, and we knew we couldn’t give the Carnival the full attention, presence, and energy it needs to produce a safe, high‑level event — and which it deserves. 

The Revelstoke Winter Carnival has a long and vibrant history, with roots reaching back to the 1920s and many different variations over the decades. The last iteration of the Carnival (Spirit Week) was produced in 2013, and after more than a decade of rest, we were honoured to revive it in 2024.

In 2024, we had approximately 2,100 attendees, and in 2025 we had approximately 4,100. In a short amount of time, we doubled in size and grew into a large‑scale production that requires significant funding, volunteer power, and logistical coordination. We are extremely proud of the the hard work we accomplished over the last two years and all the people and organizations that supported us along the way.

As we are not a non‑profit, grant funding is not always available. In addition, some funding opportunities and agencies require dates or formats that don’t always align with Revelstoke’s infrastructure, weather patterns, or community rhythms. ***Weather and Tourism are huge logistical factors in planning this event. 

In addition and possibly most important is that the current location of Centennial Park presents many logistical barriers and challenges and safety is our number one priority. Rather than push forward under strain, this pause allows us to step back, reassess, and build a more sustainable foundation.

What this pause doesn’t mean:

*The Carnival isn’t gone. 
*The vision isn’t fading. We already have fun and unique plans for 2027!
*The community spirit that built it is still very much alive but we cannot produce this event without community support. 

What this pause does mean:

*We’re taking the time needed to plan responsibly and build a more sustainable future. 
*We’re exploring new funding models and partnerships.
*We’ll be curating an intimate group of community members to help shape the future of the Carnival.
*We’re setting ourselves up for a vibrant, resilient future. 

If you love this event — if you’ve attended, volunteered, performed, sponsored, or simply felt the nostalgia of it — we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. 

If you’d like to learn more about the Carnival’s origins and its many evolutions, the Revelstoke Museum & Archives is an excellent resource. Before taking on this endeavour, many hours were spent digging through archival materials and speaking with Cathy English to ensure we could honour the past while bringing fresh energy and creativity to the present.

For those who’ve reached out with encouragement, patience, and understanding — thank you. This community is extraordinary, and we’re grateful to be part of it.

DON'T THROW AWAY YOUR POOPERS!!! Start planning for the next rendition........And, how you can beat Selkirk Sauna!

Allie and Stephane Riendeau
Spanda Collective​/Spanda

A special note of gratitude to City of Revelstoke - Parks, Recreation and Culture, Revelstoke Tourism, Revelstoke Municipality Funding Program, Illecillewaet Greenbelt Society, Cooper Equipment Rental, Society Snow and Skate, Revelstoke RCMP, Revelstoke Credit Union, Laurie Donato, ​Cathy English, Mayor Sulz, Marlene Krug, Christine Love Hewitt Flourish Bakery, StokeFM, Traverse Revelstoke, Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce, Revelstoke Museum & Archives, Integrated Apparel, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, MacKenzie Village, Village Idiot, Sarah Greenwood and all the amazing Volunteers and Sponsors.