Facebook relaunches Events as a Foursquare-like app called Local

Last year, Facebook introduced Events — a standalone app that combined a dedicated calendar with happenings around town. The app was not a hit — it dropped out of the most-downloaded iOS apps a few days after launching, according to data from market research firm App Annie, and never returned.

Today Facebook is trying again. From now on, the app formerly known as Events will now be called Local, and will incorporate information about local businesses and reviews from Facebook users. “The new app, Facebook Local, helps you easily find what to do, where to go, where to eat, or what you need — all recommended by the people you know and trust,” Aditya Koolwal, the product manager, said in a statement.

Most of this information is already in the Facebook app that is likely already on your phone. I’m still a little unclear on why Local needs to exist as a standalone app — other than the fact that the flagship Facebook app is so choked with features that most of what’s inside of Local rarely if ever surfaces. The most interesting aspect of Local, at least to me, continues to be its combination of calendar and event listings. It could turn Facebook into a powerful seller of tickets, should it choose to pursue that path. In the meantime, it’s a step closer to Foursquare and Yelp.

Local is now available on iOS and Android.