- December 16, 2025
Kaveh Ghovanloo was the Iranian Santa Claus who handed out gifts a the Nowruz Festival on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Esets
Music and dancing in elegant costumes, were a big part of the third annual Nowruz Festival in Rockefeller Gardens on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
People from all walks of life celebrated the Iranian New Year with the Iranian American Society on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
Roshana Nofret, director of the MECA Dance Ensemble, dances on the stage at Rockefeller Gardens on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
The MECA Dance Ensemble performed several times in different costumes at the Nowruz 1396 festival. Photo by Jacque Estes
Navid Hasan snaps a photo of Maryam Khosrovani and Susan Joulaee. Photo by Jacque Estes
Zahra Hasan smiles from behind her booth at the Nowruz Festival on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
Fay Bahrami, left, dances with her dance ensemble, Jaylah Poku, Autumn Poku, Yasmimne Burrill, Summer Bell, and Kianh Burrill. Photo by Jacque Estes
Rockefeller Gardens was filled with the sights, sounds and scents of Iran on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Jacque Estes
Fariba Toutounchian and Mohammad Bahrami, vice president of the Iranian American Society, talk during the Nowruz Festival on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
Reza Oleiki portrayed Haji Firuz as Mehrdad Khorassani videos his performance. Photo by Jacque Estes
Fahimeh and Mohammad Bahrami pose for a photo with a Daf, a large Persian frame drum, at Rockefeller Gardens on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
Manous Richey at the Nowruz on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
Autumn Poku enjoyed a modern day inflatable slide in a traditional dance costume at the Nowruz on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
An inflatable slide kept the children happy. Photo by Jacque Estes
An inflatable slide kept the children happy. Photo by Jacque Estes
Susie Latif and Manous Ritchey dance during the Nowruz Festival on Sunday. Photo by Jacque Estes
The MECA Dance Ensemble complete one of many dances at the festival on Sunday. Left to right: Majilyn Regueira, Roshana Nofret, Elena Cortizas, and Shahar Perera. Photo by Jacque Estes
“Happy New Year” rang out at the Iranian American Society of Daytona Beach’s event, as families and friends celebrated Nowruz 1396, known as the Persian New Year. Nowruz has been celebrated for about 4,000 years in what is now Iran with the spring equinox, typically on March 20 or 21. This year the official time of the spring equinox is 6:28 a.m., Monday, March 20.
The IAS was also celebrating their 20th anniversary as an organization in Volusia County.
