Nowruz, the arrival of the spring equinox, is an ancient celebration of hope and renewal. A group of East Bay students and makers are organizing a one-stop shop for the holiday, also known as Persian New Year, to raise funds to support the ongoing fight for women’s rights in Iran.
The market, the first of its kind in the East Bay and likely the Bay Area, will feature a dozen vendors, mostly of Iranian descent, selling homemade foods — think tangy Persian torshi and nutty halvah — plus art, jewelry, vintage clothing, plants and other DIY goods on March 12 at 2727 California Street, a cooperative art gallery in Berkeley.