IRVINE : Festivities to Conclude Celebration of Persian New Year

In one of the largest gatherings of Iranians outside Iran, more than 30,000 people are expected to gather at William R. Mason Regional Park on Sunday to observe the Persian New Year.

The festivities conclude a 13-day celebration that began March 20, the first day of spring.

“Regardless of their religious beliefs, all Iranians celebrate this event,” said festival organizer Fardad Fateri. “There are 13 distinct ethnic groups among Iranians in Orange County. This is the one time of the year that all of them get together.”

Orange County has about 80,000 residents of Iranian descent, said Fateri, a dean of student affairs at the DeVry Institute of Technology in Pomona. In Irvine, there are between 8,000 and 11,000 residents of Iranian ancestry, he said.

This year’s dawn-to-dusk celebration will be the 16th at Mason Regional Park and has become the city’s biggest annual event.

Even larger crowds are expected this year because of the addition of 50 booths selling food or offering cultural exhibits. Reduced-cost telephone calls to Iran also will be available.

The Network of Iranian Professionals of Orange County is encouraging participants to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items to donate to the nonprofit Orange County Food Distribution Center.

Event organizers say the park’s 400 parking places are usually filled by 9 a.m. Parking also will be available at UC Irvine for a $10 fee, which includes round-trip shuttle service to the park.

Proceeds from the new year’s celebration will be used to reimburse the city and county for their costs--about $20,000.