GlobalFest

GlobalFest is an annual cultural celebration in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The festival is held every August since 2003 [http://www.globalfest.ca/About_GlobalFest.htm GlobalFest] - About GlobalFest] , and is jointly organised by "The Calgary Fireworks Festival Society" and the "International Avenue Arts and Culture Centre".

GlobalFest consists of Cultural Pavilions and an international fireworks competition.

GlobalFest Cultural Pavilions

GlobalFest cultural pavilions feature cultural pavilions throughout Calgary. The pavilions often include ethnic food, displays and entertainment.

Cultural pavilions spread throughout the city include venues with themes from Africa, Hispanic America, Middle East, Caribbean, Francophone, India, Italy, Mexico, Scotland, Ukraine and Vietnam.

The small scale "GlobalFest Film Festival" is included, with movies centered on cultural diversity. Screenings take place at the John Dutton Theatre and at the Calgary Public Library.

International Fireworks Competition

The International Fireworks Competition is held at Elliston Park in southeast Calgary. Each night of the competition a different nation's team is presented. Teams are invited by the organizers. Pyrotechnic displays take place over Elliston Park and are timed to music; some competitors employ fireworks that bounce off the water.

But a Country can only win twice in a row, afterwards the country has to take at least a year break.

Before a national team competes with a fireworks display, live performances showcasing the culture of that country are held at the "Centennial World Stage".

Several countries have already entered this explosive competition: USA, Mexico, India, South Africa, Germany, Portugal, and Japan.

Previous Champions:
*2003 - Canada
*2004 - Canada
*2005 - Hong Kong
*2006 - Hong Kong
*2007 - Spain
*2008 - China

The 2009 competition will feature the following countries:

* Spain
* Mexico
* Canada
* China

History

The roots of the festival started in 1994, when the newly established Calgary Fireworks Festival Society started looking for a safe firework launch site. It wasn't until 2001 when they discovered the Elliston Park and lake. At the same time, the International Avenue Arts and Culture Centre was making plans for a multicultural festival in Forest Lawn. The two non-profit societies presented plans for a joint festival at Calgary's International Avenue Business Revitalisation Zone (a city department), and the festival took off in 2003, with an audience of almost 100,000, including city residents and tourists.

The site chosen for the fireworks display, Elliston Lake, is the second largest lake in Calgary (after Glenmore Reservoir), and was created close to a landfill site in 1978 [ [http://www.ffwdweekly.com/issues/2003/0807/city.htm FFWD article] - GlobalFest may prove to be a boon for east Calgary’s Elliston Park] . Owned by the city of Calgary since 1960, the area has been used for agriculture for ten more years, and 1994 saw the opening of the Elliston park. Plans to expand the park by reclaiming land from the nearby landfill would bring the total area to 410 acres, making it the city's second largest park (after Nose Hill), and would increase the appeal of this city district.

ee also

*List of festivals in Calgary
*Festivals in Alberta

References