San Francisco Marks 22nd Annual Nowruz at City Hall

Mayor Daniel Lurie proclaimed Nowruz Day in San Francisco as Persian, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Turkish and Uzbek communities gathered at City Hall for the 22nd consecutive celebration of the 3,000-year-old tradition. The event doubled as a platform for cultural diplomacy, with consular representatives from four nations presenting gifts and remarks alongside city officials who used the occasion to tout public safety gains and reaffirm the city's immigrant-welcoming identity.

• Mayor Lurie proclaims Nowruz Day, citing 28% crime drop and 64% resident optimism as signs of San Francisco's own renewal

• Consular representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan join the celebration with gifts, letters and cultural presentations

• Former Supervisor Asha Safai traces the event's 22-year arc from a simple request under Mayor Newsom to the city's longest-running multicultural heritage gathering

• City officials pledge solidarity with Persian and Iranian American communities amid global tensions

The basics: Nowruz, the Persian New Year and spring equinox, is celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide. San Francisco's City Hall celebration — now in its 22nd year — has expanded from an Iranian community event into a multicultural gathering uniting five national communities. A traditional Haft-seen display, featuring seven symbolic items representing renewal, growth and prosperity, anchored the ceremony.