Nowruz Festival celebrates Persian New Year with culture and tradition

HERNDON, Va. — The DMV is home to many different cultures, including one of the largest Persian communities in the U.S. This week, they are celebrating their traditional New Year, Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring.

That's why hundreds gathered to celebrate at the Nowruz Festival in Herndon Sunday afternoon, held at the Washington Dulles Airport Hilton.

“It’s one of the biggest celebrations that Iranian people do,” said Shohreh Asemi, who has been helping organize the festival in Northern Virginia for over a decade. This marks the event’s 11th year.

Nowruz begins exactly when winter ends and spring begins—on March 20, 2025, at 5:01 a.m. Eastern time.

“It’s a celebration that lasts many days, maybe 16 or 17,” Asemi said.

The condensed one-day event showcased a variety of food, crafts, art, books, and cultural performances—creating a space for people with Persian heritage to celebrate together.

The D.C. metro area is home to about 85,000 people of Persian descent, one of the largest communities in the country.

“Everybody is welcome to this once-a-year big celebration,” Asemi said.

As the official start of Nowruz approaches on Thursday, Asemi shares an easy way to wish someone a "Happy New Year" in Farsi: Nowruz Piruz.