Seattle Center Festal Hosts Iranian Festival Today

Seattle Center Festál presents Iranian Festival, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., today, June 29, in Seattle Center Armory. Explore and experience the cultural roots and significant influences of Iran throughout the history of civilization through live performances, visual arts, hands-on activities, foods, games, and a marketplace.

Rumi poetry, puppet shows and face painting will provide a glimpse into this culturally opulent culture. The festival's featured guest, Ali Rouhfar, a Persian Calligraphy artist, will exhibit some of his pieces and introduce this unique Persian writing to the general public by demonstrating the techniques he applies to create such masterpieces.

The 2013 Iranian Festival also features:

• Traditional Persian tea house
• Bazaar featuring ethnic goods, art and more
• Renowned Vancouver, BC musician Amir Haghighi
• Louisa Shafia, chef and author of "The New Persian Kitchen"
• Meghan Sayers, author of "Love and Pomegranates"
• Los Angeles based comedian Tehran "SoParvaz" Von Ghasri
• Iranian Americans Got Talent - Top five contestants will perform at the festival and the professional judges will pick the top three.

Seattle Center Festál, a series of 22 celebrations presented by community organizations with support from Seattle Center, considers themes of importance to ethnic cultures in our region, revealing their common forms of tradition and expression, while highlighting their unique contributions to the Pacific Northwest and the world.

Iranian Festival is produced in partnership with Iranaian American Community Alliance. For more information on Iranian Festival, visit www.iaca-seattle.org. Click on www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200 to learn more about Seattle Center Festál and other outstanding public programming offered at Seattle Center.

Seattle Center Festál 2013 presents a series of 22 world festivals on weekends throughout the year highlighting the distinct cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region through traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops and more. This collection of cultural events is produced with the generous support of Coca-Cola, The Boeing Company, T-Mobile, Wells Fargo, Real Networks, and KUOW 94.9 Public Radio. Additional support is provided by 4Culture, Washington State Arts Commission and the City of Seattle.