Twin Cities Iranian Culture Festival

04/08/2026

03/03/2026

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Our cultural organization continues to grow, and we are seeking additional volunteer support from our Twin Cities community to help sustain the quality and impact of our mission. As we look ahead, we find ourselves at a moment where additional volunteer support is not only appreciated, but truly needed. Opportunities include assisting with events, programming, outreach, marketing, and behind-the-scenes efforts. Volunteering is a meaningful way to support our work and connect more deeply with our community. If you’re able to help, please visit this form to sign up.

https://forms.gle/DmirzBQ7J2WDWpot6

Your support is sincerely appreciated.

With appreciation,
The Board of Directors

07/02/2026

Please join us for a candlelight vigil for Iran from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 21 at Hennepin Hall, 983 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

05/02/2026

The Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective joins Iranians worldwide and the global community in mourning the lives lost during the recent protests in Iran. We unequivocally condemn the killing of Iranians who were exercising their fundamental right to peaceful expression. These acts of lethal violence, carried out by the regime in Iran, are unjust, unacceptable, and a grave violation of human dignity.

As an organization dedicated to the celebration and preservation of Iranian culture and heritage, we believe that mourning must be grounded in truth. Iranian culture is deeply rooted in conscience, justice, compassion, and respect for the sanctity of human life. The violent suppression of peaceful voices stands in direct opposition to these enduring values and dishonors the moral legacy of our ancient civilization.

We affirm a clear and essential distinction between the people of Iran and those who rule them. The actions of the regime do not represent the values, dignity, or aspirations of the Iranian people, nor the spirit reflected in Iran’s history, literature, and collective memory. The courage and sacrifices of Iranian youth embody a long-standing cultural resistance to oppression and an unwavering commitment to human dignity.

Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. We stand in solidarity with all who seek safety, dignity, and the freedom to be heard without fear. We remain committed to fostering a community that honors truth, shared humanity, and the hope for a future where peace and justice prevail for all Iranians.

For this reason, in solidarity with this time of mourning and in honor of the lives lost, our Norooz programs and celebrations will not be held this year.

Instead of music and festivity, we enter the new spring with mindful silence, united hearts, and remembrance — holding hope for a season yet to come, when freedom, peace, and justice may fully blossom for the people of Iran.

25/11/2025

🎉 Come join us for an evening of food, music, poetry, singing, storytelling and dancing to celebrate Shab-e Yalda, the longest night of the year! Doors open at 6 p.m, exciting programs, Piano performance by Mahsa with a Persian dinner buffet of kebabs and salad, prepared by legendary chef Abbas Shahbazi, starting at at 7:30. Kids under 10 get in free.
Or just join us after 9 p.m. for dancing with hometown DJ Danial Zangouii, and a cash bar.
Space is limited. Only 200 dinner tickets will be sold, and 50 tickets for dancing after 9 p.m.

10/11/2025

Spend an uplifting evening with Samin Nosrat. The beloved Iranian chef, teacher, and star of Netflix’s Salt Fat Acid Heat! 🌿✨
She’ll be sharing stories from her new cookbook GOOD THINGS, from the recipes to the rituals of gathering with friends.
GET TICKET HERE: https://first-avenue.com/event/2025-11-samin-nosrat/

09/11/2025

Jafar Panahi's newest film, "It Was Just an Accident" https://mspfilm.org/show/it-was-just-an-accident/ will be screening at the MSP Film Society's Main Cinema, starting this Friday. The film, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival. The Film Society is offering a discount code, ACCIDENT25, which removes the online processing fee and reduces the price of an $8 ticket to $6 and a $11 ticket to $9.

"From master filmmaker Jafar Panahi comes a searing moral thriller that engages with complex ideas about the uncertainty of the truth and the choice between revenge and mercy, as Panahi turns his personal dissonance into a profound and galvanizing work of art."

Starts November 14 ABOUT THE FILM Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Vahid, an unassuming mechanic, has a chance encounter with Eghbal, a man he strongly suspects to be his former sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, Vahid gathers several former prisoners, all abused by tha...

05/11/2025

In-person tickets are sold out, but it's still possible to join virtually or register for the waiting list! Either way, it's worth hearing from such an awesome author as Kaveh Akbar.

Pen Pals - Ticketed In-person + Virtual Event