Nowruz Family Festival

Sat Mar 14 2026 at 11:00 am to 04:00 pm UTC-04:00

National Museum of Asian Art | Washington

Freer and Sackler Galleries
Publisher/HostFreer and Sackler Galleries
Nowruz Family Festival
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Honor the Persian New Year at our annual Nowruz Family Day. Welcome spring with free attractions for all ages.
About this Event

Honor the new year at our annual Nowruz Family Day. Come dressed in your Nowruz best and welcome spring with free attractions for all ages, including storytelling, hands-on activities, and more. Persian sweets and food will be available for purchase. Learn about Nowruz.


Register in advance to make sure you get the best experience. Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis.


Performances
All performance locations have limited capacity, and access will not be allowed once capacity is reached.


  • Storytelling with Xanthe
    Ripley Center, Discovery Theater, level B3
    12:00, 1:00, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m.


Activities
Special thanks to the Family Fun team and our backgammon community players.


  • Haft Sin Table
    West Building, North Lobby
    11 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Scavenger Hunt and Storybook Reading
    West Building, Galleries 3 and 4
    11 a.m.–2 p.m.
  • Calligraphy by Alibaba Awrang
    East Building, B1 Lobby
    11 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Children's Book Reading with Rashin Kheiriyeh
    East Building, Flex Space, level B1
    11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
  • Backgammon and Chess
    West Building, South Corridor
    12–3 p.m.


Crafts
Special thanks to the Family Fun team and Sarv School.


  • Haft Sin Coloring
    West Building, North Corridor
    11 a.m.-2 p.m.
  • Mask Craft by Sarv School
    West Building, Freer Conference Room, level GR
    11 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Hyacinth Craft
    East Building, Gallery 30, level B3
    11 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Crafts with Rashin Kheiriyeh
    East Building, Flex Space, level B1
    11 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Calligraphy Workshop with Alibaba Awrang
    East Building, ImaginAsia Studio, level B2
    2–4 p.m.
    This workshop has limited capacity, and access will only be allowed based on availabilty throughout the time block.


Tours and Talks

  • Tours with Curator Antonietta Catanzariti
    East Building, Gallery 21
    1–2 p.m. and 2:30–3:30 p.m.
  • Tours with Curators Massumeh Farhad and Simon Rettig
    West Building, Galleries 3-4
    2:30–3:30 p.m.
  • Docent-led Spotlight Talks
    West Building, Gallery 12
    1–2 p.m., 2–3 p.m., 3–4 p.m


Food for Sale
Sales until supplies last. Lines for food vendors end at 3:30 p.m.


  • Moby Dick
    Ripley Center, Room 3037
    12–4 p.m.
  • Kandu Pastry
    Ripley Center, Room 3035
    12–4 p.m.
  • The Persian Table
    Ripley Center, Room 3035
    12–4 p.m.
  • Afghan Chai
    Ripley Center, Room 3035
    12–4 p.m.


Some activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. General RSVP through Eventbrite is not considered a ticket and does not guarantee entry to individual activities or performances.


About Nowruz:

Nowruz, the Persian word for “new day,” marks the vernal equinox and the first day of spring. Rooted in Zoroastrianism, the religion of Iran before the advent of Islam, Nowruz was celebrated in much of the ancient Near East as early as three thousand years ago. Today, people in many regions from West Asia and the Caucasus to Central Asia, to South Asia participate in the thirteen days of Nowruz festivities with their own local variations.


Featured exhibitions: and .

Our annual festival is made possible by the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Persian Culture Celebrations Fund.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue Southwest, Washington, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00

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