ISF events highlight the values the program is founded upon—stewardship, social and cultural responsibility, the vital importance of community and caring for others
ISF Events
Nowruz Festival 2024 Sunday, March 10, 2024 10am - 6pm San Jose City Hall Rotunda 200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose CA 95113
Each March, at the approach of the Spring Equinox which ushers in the Persian New Year (“Nowruz”), ISF hosts its annual Nowruz Festival. Dozens of volunteers work tirelessly for weeks to give life to one of the Bay Area’s most joyous and vibrant events of the year.
Our Nowruz Festival celebrates many things—the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring, the hope and promise of a New Year, and most importantly, the richness of the Persian culture, which connects millions of Iranians around the world. ISF’s Nowruz Festival has become a much-loved opportunity for our community to come together, remember, re-connect and rejoice in our traditions, uniting generations of Iranians in our love for our cultural heritage.
At our festival, local artists, craftsmen, musicians, chefs, educators, and other vendors join with the ISF family and community members to share their crafts and celebrate the New Year, Persian-style. This colorful, entertaining and exciting event, which brings together families and friends for wonderful food, music, dance and art, has special meaning for those who are thousands of miles away from their homeland and miss the exciting “Nowruz vibe” in Iran.
ISF’s Nowruz Festival has another important role: it is a vital fundraiser. The event is entirely organized by volunteers, with all of the proceeds from the sale of beautiful Haftseen items, flowers, Sabzeh, traditional foods, art, crafts, delicacies and decorative items going to ISF’s Emergency Fund for students that are in urgent need.
The annual festival helps to promote the values ISF is built upon: care for the community at large, strengthening the bond between our community members, and the celebration of our Persian cultural heritage.
ISF’s first Nowruz Festival was in March 2015. With each passing year, it has grown to become one of Northern California’s most unique and delightful events. At its core, our Nowruz Festival seeks to create a joyful experience for Persian society to feel that “Nowruz is here!” And through this joy and celebration, we encourage future generations of Iranian-Americans to carry on our community’s core traditions with their families.
