Editing Tirgan Iranian Festival (section)

==History==

Originally showcased under the name Under the Azure Dome, Tirgan 2006 celebrated Nowruz (the Persian New Year) and Iranian arts & culture on a scale not previously experienced in Canada. The festival, held between March 17-19, 2006, at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, featured over a hundred performers in dance, music, theatre, cinema, and visual arts, and drew an impressive 25,000 visitors both from within Canada and overseas. In 2008, Tirgan once again celebrated the richness and diversity of Iranian arts & culture, featuring internationally acclaimed artists such as Ostad Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Saeed Shanbehzadeh, and Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam. Tirgan 2008 attracted over 60,000 visitors to more than 50 performances.