Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

On Saturday, March 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Persian New Year Festival returns to the Scottsdale Waterfront, at 7135 E. Camelback Rd., for the fourth annual event honoring historical Persian culture. The all-ages festival features live music, cultural art and dance performances, kids’ activities and opportunities to experience the aromatic cuisines of the Middle East.

“It’s with great honor to have the city of Scottsdale host the return of Persian New Year Festival,” says Lawdan Shojaee, who co-founded the event in 2019 with Shideh Doerr with the intent to celebrate and share Persian traditions with the community. “This year, we have some incredible performers, entertainment and vendors to help us spread awareness about Persian culture and we look forward to celebrating with our family, friends and neighbors.”

The festival boasts on-stage entertainment from big-name performers. DJ Vahid Shad will be spinning tunes throughout the event and guests can also enjoy a concert from popular singer Hengameh. Comedian Tehran and Leila Parnian are set to serve as MCs of the event, and Ballet Afsaneh from San Francisco will also perform.

Guests can peruse a variety of booths offering tastes of authentic Persian culture through food, wares and exotic arts. Attendees can receive a free hot tea at the festival by pre-registering via

www.eventbrite.com/e/free-tea-tickets-244724305987?fbclid=IwAR1UbS1Vj0AW424PMgMvTXHF59M_Fni8D9QopkKHgC6zg3qb7JH1qmEflA8.

The festival also serves as a fundraiser with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Kids Inspire Difference, a youth-led local nonprofit dedicated to empowering teens to use their privilege to bring attention to larger social justices issues. Through various social media campaigns, the organization’s platform serves to use social media in a positive way to connect with teen activists around the world and create impactful change.

For more information or to donate, visit www.persiannewyearfestival.org.