The Barrie Persian Association held a ‘Nowruz Bazaar’ at the Bradford and District Community Centre on Saturday to celebrate the upcoming Persian New Year and Persian Heritage Month.
The ‘Bazaar’ marketplace celebrated Persian, Iranian, and Afghan cultures, featuring traditional dances, music, a DJ, and plenty of local food and art vendors.
“The goal for all of us is to make our community diverse and more welcoming for everyone,” said Samira Rashidian-Zadeh, founder of the Barrie Persian Association.
The event was an opportunity for local business owners such as Nasar Naper and Ali Sensen to showcase their cultural offerings and their support.
“We want to pass [our culture] on to the next generations and make sure the next generation [knows about] it,” said Naper, who was showcasing his rugs from his Sofia Magic Carpet & Rugs business.
“Any culture, I like to be in it,” said Sesen, owner of Cocelli Doner Kebab House, of celebrating different cultures. “Not only to show what we are and who we are, but also, I want to know [other cultures] too.”
The event also collected donations for the Helping Hand Food Bank in Bradford and raised funds for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) Cancer Program.
The Persian community will hold a first-ever Persian fire festival at Meridian Place in Barrie on Tuesday.
