The Persian Community of Orange County will be holding the 8^th Annual Persian Harvest Festival of Autumn (Mehregan) on October 4 – 5, 2003 at the Orange County Fair& Exposition Center, 88 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

Last year over 20,000 people attended this two-day event with more expected this year. Many national, state, and local community and political leaders are expected at the festival.

The ancient Persian Goddess Mehr, the spirit of love, knowledge and commitment, would be honored by attending the annual Mehregan (pronounced ‘meh-re-gahn’), the Persian Festival of Autumn. This two-day outdoor family event celebrating nature and the seasons, envelopes you in the many aspects of Persian culture from exhibits, art, pop and traditional music, and folk dance to crafts, ancient sports, live performances, movies, children's activities and exotic food. Held at the Orange County Fair & Exposition in Costa Mesa, this event grows more popular each year and now hosts over 20,000 visitors. Over 100 vendor booths sell everything from intricate Persian rugs to modern art.

This year, the attendees will experience a special opening ceremony show celebrating the country's ancient Sassanian Dynasty (AD 224-651) in a play on the main stage with actors dressed in Sassanian-era costumes.

This festival is organized by the Persian Community Volunteers of Southern California as a non-profit event.  Hundreds of people in the county's large Persian community volunteer their time and talents to bring Orange County the sights, sounds and tastes of ancient Persia and modern Iran. Further information is available at  http://www.nipoc.org/mehregan.htm or by calling (949) 851-3993.

Media Relations:

Dr. H. Hosseini
(714) 305-7929
fhhosseini@aol.com                                               

Dr. Mohsen Alinaghian
(949) 857-8213