From Support to Visibility: Kazakh Students Help Power ASU’s Largest Nowruz Festival Yet
As Arizona State University’s Nowruz celebration grows in scale, the Kazakh Student Association is helping build it from behind the scenes—supporting logistics, funding efforts and cultural presence while the Uzbek Students Association leads the event.
At the main canopy, students present traditional Nowruz items and cultural artifacts during the March 21, 2026 celebration at Arizona State University, inviting attendees to engage with Central Asian traditions.
More than 150 students gathered at Arizona State University’s Tooker Lawn on March 21 for a daylong Nowruz celebration that, for members of the Kazakh Student Association, marked a shift from small, internal gatherings to a visible role in a growing campus event.
What began two years ago as informal meetups among Central Asian students has expanded into a multi-organization festival with roughly $15,000 in funding. This year, the Kazakh Student Association helped anchor that growth—working within a larger coalition while trying to preserve the feel of a tradition rooted in community, not scale.
The event, organized by the Uzbek Students Association, saw support from members of Kazakh, Turkic, Turkish and Azerbaijani student groups, as well as the Russian Conversation Club and International Students and Scholars Center, introduced more programming and drew a broader audience. For Kazakh organizers, the increase in size brought a new challenge: visibility without dilution.
“We collaborated so more attendees would visit our event,” said Yedige Zanggaruly of the Kazakh Student Association.
Across the lawn, that shift was visible. Students moved between stations with halal national cuisine, games and cultural displays, while tug-of-war matches and a chess tournament drew steady crowds. The setting created not just activity, but exposure—placing Kazakh students in the position of explaining, presenting and representing.
“When American students started asking about my country, Kazakhstan,” Zanggaruly said, describing a moment that underscored how the event had moved beyond internal celebration.
Attendees noticed the change in scale, but also its effect. “This one was much bigger, with more interesting and fun activities,” said Shynggys Zhambyl, a senior from Kazakhstan, adding that it “felt bigger and more complete than the one that was last year.”
For organizers, however, size only mattered if it carried something familiar with it. “It matters because more people came and the atmosphere was just like back home,” Zanggaruly said.
That atmosphere drew students beyond the Central Asian community. Abdullah Al Kindi, a senior from Oman, said he returned after first encountering Nowruz last year to better understand it. “I wanted to learn more about what Nowruz actually is and experience the culture and people from that region,” he said.
As the event grows, the Kazakh Student Association’s role is shifting with it—from participating in celebration to helping shape how that culture is presented and understood. What was once a gathering for themselves is becoming something outward-facing, where growth brings both reach and responsibility.
Read more about other student organizations at Arizona State University here.