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Axis Mundi Harvest and Solstice festivals coming to Revelstoke

Residents of Revelstoke, B.C., will enjoy two new festivals over the next 15 months, despite the recent cancellation of festivals in other cities nearby.

The Axis Mundi Harvest Festival is scheduled for September 2015 and the Axis Mundi Solstice Festival is scheduled for June 2016.

Axis Mundi will blend different types of events into one, according to the organizer of the two festivals and the former director of the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, Hugo Rampen.

"It's kind of like Mountain Equipment Co-op meets music festival meets organic farm meets TED Talks, all in one," said Rampen.

The so-called "lifestyle festivals" will feature music, adventure sports, workshops and street festivals.

Meanwhile, Penticton, B.C.'s Boonstock Festival and the Osoyoos Desert Live summer festival have both been cancelled.

Rampen said the key to creating a successful festival is to be honest about financial expectations.

"I'm a very conservative budgeter," said Rampen. "I've been a farmer for 20 years and I understand the influence of weather and markets."

To mitigate risk and ease competition, Rampen said he chose to organize two smaller festivals instead of one big one, and to schedule them outside of peak summer festival season.

Rampen has been working with local business and tourism organizations and said, so far, the festival has been well received.