Sizdeh-Bedar Persian New Year Celebration
3/26/2008
Sezdeh-Bedar Persian New Year Celebration
On Sunday, March 30th, 2008, members of the Persian community and their guests will gather at William R. Mason Regional Park, located 18712 University Drive in the City of Irvine (University / Culver) to celebrate the Persian New Year "Sizdeh Bedar." This event historically attracts thousands of people and will result in periods of severe traffic congestion along roadways surrounding Mason Park.
In anticipation of the congestion associated with this event, the Irvine Police Department is suggesting alternate routes be used when driving in this area between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The following roadways in particular will be affected:
- University Drive between the I-405 freeway and MacArthur Boulevard
- Culver Drive between Campus Drive and the I-405 freeway
- Harvard Avenue between Culver Drive and Michelson Drive
In addition, access to the villages of Rancho San Joaquin and Columbia Square will be limited to residents only their guests. The Irvine Police Department will have personnel assigned to the areas to encourage voluntary compliance. Major thoroughfares in the vicinity of the park will be posted "no parking, tow away" zones. Vehicles left in these areas will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Parking within Mason Regional Park is limited to 600 vehicles. Mason Regional park is a Orange County Park located in the City of Irvine. Fees for parking this year have been set by Orange County at $10.00 per vehicle. This charge will be assessed each time a vehicle enters or re-enters the park. NO ANNUAL PASSES WILL BE ACCEPTED. When on-site parking is exhausted, the park gates will be closed. No additional vehicles will be admitted. Historically, this occurs near mid-day.
Some private parking lots in the area may be charging a fee for off-site parking. This parking is also limited and each private property site sets it’s own fees. The City of Irvine does not regulate parking fees at any of these sites. University High School, located at the intersection of Culver Drive and Campus Drive, will, as in the past, provide limited paid parking.
Event attendees wishing to park in Mason Regional Park are encouraged to use University Drive from Campus Drive by way of Jamboree Road. Those opting for University High School are encouraged to access those sites from Campus Drive via Jamboree Road.
On street no-parking areas will be posted and rigorously enforced. Violating vehicles will be removed at their owners expense.
Due to the limited availability of desirable parking, attendees are encouraged to limit the number of items they bring to the park. There will be no shuttle service provided, all items will have to be hand-carried from the parking areas. As a courtesy to event attendees, a "temporary loading zone" will be established on University Drive between Harvard and San Joaquin. This "loading zone" area may become heavily congested. Drivers may not leave vehicles unattended at anytime in this area. Those left unattended will be towed immediately for the safety of the other event attendees.
In light of the crowding associated with this very popular event, the limited availability of parking and the related traffic congestion; the County of Orange and the City of Irvine encourage SEZDEH-BEDAR celebrations utilizing additional park facilities nearer your home.
Visitors are reminded that the County of Orange maintains a variety of outstanding regional parks, all of which should be considered as an option. These parks include:
Irvine Regional Park
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA (714) 973-6835
477-acre park with Santiago Creek bisecting the park and a large water pond in the center of the park. Plenty of parking for event attendees inside the park. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
Laguna Niguel Regional Park
28241 La Paz Road
Laguna Niguel, CA (949) 923-2240
80-acre park with 44-acre lake located inside the park. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
Mile Square Regional Park
16801 Euclid Ave.
Fountain Valley, CA (714) 973-6600
640-acre park with two fishing lakes located within the park. Plenty of parking for event attendees. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
Craig Regional Park
3300 State College Blvd.
Fullerton, CA (714) 973-3180
124-acre park providing abundant shade with a natural area for waterfowl and a 3-acre lake. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
Ralph B. Clark Regional Park
8800 Rosecrans Ave.
Buena Park, CA (714) 973-3170
105-acre park with open grass areas and rolling hills, and a three-acre lake. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
Carbon Canyon Regional Park
4442 Carbon Canyon Road
Brea, CA (714) 973-3160
124 acre park with a ten-acre grove of Coastal Redwoods and a 4-acre lake. Parking is $5.00 per vehicle.
The sites described above are similar in nature to William R. Mason Regional Park. Each of these facilities features areas of open grass and bodies of water. In order to reduce inconvenience associated with limited parking and projected traffic congestion to potential attendees, it is suggested the above parks be considered as alternatives.
To ensure the enjoyment of all visitors to William R. Mason Regional Park we request all park visitors make a concerted effort to remind their community participants that the following regulations and County Ordinances are established for their personal safety and protection. Failure to comply may result in citation including fine, eviction, or both.
PARK HOURS:
October 31st to March 8th - 7 A.M. to 6 P.M.
March 9th to October 30th - 7 A.M. to 9 P.M.
OCCO Sec. 2-5-15
Parking permitted in designated areas only. Vehicle subject to citation and / or tow.
OCCO Sec. 2-5-29 (b) "parking citation" and 2-5-29 (d) (3) "authority to tow"
Possession & Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages not permitted in park. OCCO Sec. 2-5-35
Speed limit of 10 MPH enforced at all times.
OCCO Sec. 2-5-29 (a)
No Amplified Sound is allowed (including generators, public address systems, deejays, bands, loud speakers, karaoke systems, drums and amplifiers.) Handheld radios and acoustic instruments are allowed.
OCCO Sec. 2-5-26
PARKING: Fee of $10.00 @ Mason Regional Park, allows one vehicle entry.
Alternative Parking will be provided at University High School for a fee of $10.00.
Please Respect; No Parking Allowed @ Chinese Baptist Church / Korean Church @ University and Harvard. Lot patrol will be on duty.
Set-Up Vehicles are not permitted on the grass and sidewalk. Do not drive to a picnic shelter to unload / load supplies. For guidance please speak to the traffic control staff.
Solicitation or Distribution of goods, wares, food products, fliers or merchandise for commercial purposes is prohibited.
OCCO Sec. 2-5-19
Picnic Shelters will be on a First come First serve basis, with someone remaining at the shelter. Roping off an area to "reserve" is not permitted.
- Due to limited parking No RV’s, or Over Sized Vehicles will be allowed inside Mason Regional Park
- No Commercial Barbeques will be allowed inside Mason Regional Park
- No Hot Coals are to be dumped on the ground or in the trash cans
It is only through public cooperation that events of this type continue to be safe and enjoyable to all visitors. Your efforts to cooperate and comply with these guidelines and instructions established by the County of Orange and local enforcement agencies is crucial to the safe and enjoyable day.
Both the City of Irvine and the County of Orange join together in wishing the Persian community a very happy New Year.
We thank you for your commitment to making this year’s event safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Questions concerning logistics for the day should be directed to the Park Ranger staff at (949) 923-2220.
Questions concerning the event itself may be directed to NIPOC President Nora Valenzuela at 951-318-3293.
The Irvine Police Department has also placed information about the event on their Emergency Broadcast station 1640am. Please tune your radio to 1640am for parking and roadway conditions.
