The 2nd Turkish Festival was held on September 27–28, 2025, at Embarcadero Plaza in San Francisco, California. The two-day cultural event gathered thousands of visitors along with representatives of various communities living in the United States. The festival featured cultural performances, exhibitions, and traditional cuisines from different countries.
Within the framework of this large-scale event, the 34th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s Independence was also celebrated together with the diaspora. Congratulations marking the occasion were broadcast across the square, while a young Turkmen, Ysmayyl, proudly raised the green national flag of Turkmenistan.
Strong Interest from Visitors
Over the course of the two-day festival, thousands of San Franciscans, Turkmens living in the U.S., and guests from around the world visited the “Ata Watan Turkmenistan” exhibition booth to learn more about our homeland. Many expressed their desire to visit Turkmenistan and highlighted their growing interest in the country. This once again underscored the importance for Turkmen tourism companies to further promote Turkmenistan internationally and to expand the quality of services offered to foreign visitors.
A compatriot visiting San Francisco on a business trip from Switzerland was drawn to the booth after seeing the green flag displayed in Embarcadero Plaza. Another compatriot, who emigrated from Turkmenistan to the United States nearly 40 years ago, also visited the booth this year. In addition, a Turkmen holding a doctoral degree and currently working at one of the world’s largest chip companies came with his family, emphasizing the significance of such cultural exhibitions. These moments served as further proof of how vital it is for Turkmens living, studying, and working abroad to organize events that promote their homeland.
Books and Cultural Heritage
The recently published “Makul Dictionary” was also presented at the exhibition. Visitors explored English words alongside their Turkmen translations, sparking great interest in the richness of the Turkmen language. A scholar from Stanford University expressed particular interest in the dictionary, noting that it would be a valuable resource for their upcoming project related to teaching the Turkmen language.
Additionally, the works of our great poet Magtymguly Pyragy in the Turkmen language drew strong attention at the booth. The presentation highlighted the importance of publishing Pyragy’s works in English and sharing them globally through platforms such as Amazon.
National Cuisine and Cultural Performances
Traditional Turkmen pastries prepared by Turkmen families living in California were offered to hundreds of visitors. Although no items were sold at the booth, Turkmen handicrafts attracted considerable interest, demonstrating once again the strong potential for establishing a Turkmen arts and crafts market in the U.S.
The festival also featured performances from Kazakh, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and other fraternal communities. This underscored the importance of ensuring that Turkmen cultural groups also take part in such festivals in the future.
