Norooz Foundation

Host an event  ·  میزبانی رویداد

Bring the celebration to your people — or start one where you live.

Three ways to host with Norooz Foundation: have us come to your school, workplace or city hall; co-host a public festival with us; or become a local host and start a gathering in your own community, anywhere.

Request an event See what's included

What we bring.

Pick the size that fits your room. We'll adjust everything else.

Package 1 · 20–45 minutes

The Haft-Sin visit

A full Haft-Sin table set up in your space, a short talk on what each of the seven things means, a Nowruz song or a poem, and something sweet to taste. Ideal for classrooms, staff meetings, libraries and seniors' homes.

  • One or two presenters
  • Haft-Sin table and printed guide for guests
  • Q&A, and a take-home sabzeh kit for kids
  • Also available for Yalda (pomegranates and Hafez) and Mehregan

Free for public schools and nonprofits. Cost recovery for businesses and institutions.

Package 2 · 2–3 hours

The celebration

An evening or afternoon celebration for your organization, campus or building: live Persian music, a Haft-Sin or Yalda table, a short program, dancing, and a meal or refreshments from our community's cooks.

  • Musicians, MC and program in Persian and English
  • Décor, table and printed materials
  • Catering coordinated with trusted Persian caterers
  • Up to about 150 guests

Quoted per event to cover musicians, food and materials. Sponsorship can offset it.

Package 3 · A public festival

Co-host a festival

Cities, libraries, community centres and cultural organizations: co-host a public Nowruz, Yalda, Mehregan or Sizdah Bedar with us. We bring the community and the program; you bring the venue and the welcome.

  • Full program, volunteers and promotion
  • Insurance, permits and risk planning handled together
  • Joint branding and thanks
  • Hundreds of guests, open to the public

Costs shared by agreement. Eight weeks' notice, please.

Become a local host

Start a gathering in your own community.

Our events are in Coquitlam and Langley. If you're in Kelowna, Halifax, Saskatoon — or Seattle, Portland or anywhere Persian is spoken — you can host the first one there.

A local host is someone who says "there should be a Nowruz here" and is willing to book a room. We take it from there, together.

What we give you

  • A planning checklist and a run-of-show for each festival, tested over years
  • A starter budget for the first event, and help finding local sponsors
  • Printable materials: Haft-Sin guides, posters, signage in Persian and English
  • Promotion through our channels, and an events page for your city
  • Introductions to hosts who have done it before, and a monthly hosts' call
  • Advice on venues, permits, insurance and food safety

What we ask of you

  • Keep it open to everyone, nonpartisan and welcoming
  • Find two or three friends to help — nobody should host alone
  • Tell us how it went, so the next host learns from you
Become a local host

How booking works.

From the first email to the last plate washed.

  1. Request

    Send the form with your date, place, audience and rough numbers. We reply within three business days with a yes and a suggested format.

  2. Plan

    A 30-minute call to settle the program, the space, food, accessibility and cost. You get a one-page plan and a checklist for your side.

  3. Prepare

    We confirm presenters, musicians and volunteers, and send materials to print. A week out, we check in.

  4. Celebrate

    We arrive early, set the table, run the program and clean up. You enjoy it with your guests.

  • Lead timeTwo weeks for a Haft-Sin visit, six weeks for a celebration, eight weeks for a public festival. The month before Nowruz books up — ask early.
  • Where we travelAnywhere in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley at no travel cost. Farther afield in B.C. and beyond by arrangement; online presentations anywhere.
  • AccessibilityAll programs can be delivered in Persian, English or French, with ASL on request. We ask about step-free access and dietary needs on the call.
  • Family celebrationsPlanning a wedding, a birthday or a memorial with Persian traditions? We don't run private events, but we'll gladly recommend musicians, caterers and calligraphers from our community and explain the customs.

Planning a Nowruz at your school, workplace or city hall?

Tell us the date and the room. We'll help you set the table.

Request an event