International Avenue is a Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. The district is centered on 17 Avenue SE in the neighbourhood of Forest Lawn in the east of the city. The district was created in 1993 to celebrate the rich cultural diversity that exists in east central Calgary. The area has since become a popular location for

ethnic An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

restaurants and shopping. The BRZ was also established to help revitalize the former town of Forest Lawn, which was annexed by the city in 1961. The neighbourhood has long had a reputation for being a haven for crime and drugs. In recent years, however, the area has been recognized for its multi-culturalism and has been slowly developing into a major destination for both Calgary residents and tourists. The city and the BRZ are currently in the process of implementing new urban design and redevelopment initiatives. Since 2003, International Avenue has played host to Calgary's large multi-cultural event, GlobalFest. GlobalFest combines both a celebration of diversity known as OneWorld Festival and an International Fireworks Festival at Elliston Park. The event takes place annually in late August.

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International Avenue BRZShop 17th Avenue Committee
Neighbourhoods in Calgary Business Revitalization Zones in Alberta {{Calgary-stub