Source: Pavyand
http://www.payvand.com/news/07/mar/1361.html
New York -- A vibrant and spirited crowd celebrated Nowrouz, the Persian New Year, at the fourth annual Persian Parade in New York City as men and women in colorful clothing danced to traditional music and cheerfully promenaded down Madison Avenue.
On March 25, Persians and non-Persians, New Yorkers and tourists, lined 15 city blocks to watch California ballet groups perform time-honored Persian dances, popular local Iranian singer Jamshid Alimorad give a surprise performance from a float, and other participants carry flags and symbols of the ancient Persian empire.
The parade’s organizers estimate that at least 25,000 people attended the parade in 2007, a few thousand more spectators than in 2006. Organizers designed the parade to emphasize the artistry and influence of Persian culture and language, said Iradj Javid, president of the parade’s board of directors.
“[We] want to introduce the full picture of Persian art, culture, history and civility to the American people,” Javid said in a telephone interview with USINFO. The Persian population in the United States is “very proud to be American, and also very proud of our heritage” he added.