Festival of Nations

Since 1989, the Houghton and Hancock communities have been celebrating the rich cultural representation of the Keweenaw.

The Festival of Nations' mission is to celebrate multiculturalism and ethnic representation in the Keweenaw. We enable people to remember how much we have in common while learning to appreciate our differences.

Mission Statement Created Jun 22, 2023

The 37th Festival of Nations and Multicultural Food Festival

Saturday, September 19th, 2026, from noon to 4 PM

We are excited to continue that tradition in 2026. This year's theme is:

7 Wonders of the World

Games Around the World 2025 Winner

2026 Festival of Nations Essay Contest

Tech-Bound Seniors Could Win $1000 for Thoughts on Keweenaw Diversity

The Michigan Tech Parade of Nations is sponsoring an essay contest for area high school seniors who are planning to attend Michigan Tech in the coming fall. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Since 1989, the Houghton and Hancock communities have celebrated the rich cultural diversity of the Keweenaw through the Parade of Nations, and this scholarship promotes and celebrates the impact of this diversity on tomorrow’s local scholars.

The essay prompt is: “Our community becomes stronger when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How have you built connections with individuals different from you? How can you contribute to creating a sense of identity and belonging for all students at Michigan Tech?”

The entry deadline is June 15th, 2026. Essays can be submitted through The Festival of Nations Essay Contest Google Form

2026 Festival of Nations Logo Contest

The 2026 Festival of Nations returns with the annual logo design contest for our amazing local student artists!

This year, our theme calls to the young and the young at heart:

"Seven Wonders of the World"

The logo should be submitted either as:
Max 5 color design, using solid colors and no shading on untextured white paper

OR
Hi-res digital scan/upload of original artwork (at least 300 dpi).

The designer should sign their name outside the main artwork.
Any graphics must be original and not downloaded from the web.

The deadline for logo contest submissions is June 15th, 2026.
The winning logo artist will be awarded $300 and be put on the official stickers, pins and marketing materials.

Please send the submissions to:

ips@mtu.edu Subject - Attention - Mariana Nakashima - Logo Contest

2025 Festival of Nations Essay Contest Winner

Congratulations to our 2025 Festival of Nations Essay winner! Carter Worm from Calumet High School.

Spreading ideas across backgrounds and cultures leads to a brighter future for all, as has been consistently proven throughout history. I have a passion for engineering and sustainability, and my work at Michigan Tech APS Labs reflects that. We were tasked by the U.S. Department of Energy with creating a 55,000-pound prototype hybridized Pettibone CaryLift, and we set a goal to reduce the energy consumption by 20%. All expectations were shattered as we achieved up to 65% reduction in certain drive modes. Such a monumental undertaking would not have been possible without open-minded collaboration and the desire to achieve a common goal. I have been able to work with talented engineers from India, Brazil, Israel, and all over the United States at APS Labs. Not only did I learn from them professionally, but experiencing aspects of their culture such as traditional foods and stories really opened my eyes to the value of diversity in engineering. I am also proud to have sat in meetings with executives and engineers from companies across the world during my time on the project, always finding myself in awe of their extensive knowledge. Watching different cultures and backgrounds come together to solve remarkably complex problems was inspiring to me, and I knew with absolute certainty that my future was at Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech has built a culture around the advancement and betterment of society through supporting others. Being able to contribute towards that welcoming environment is something that I pride myself in, and I have made many meaningful connections with both staff and students during my time in the dual-enrollment program at MTU. I hope to continue meeting new people, seeing different perspectives, and working with others to accomplish what others deem impossible, just as we did with the prototype.

2025 Parade of Nations Logo Contest Winner

Congratulations to our 2025 Parade of Nations Logo winner!
Graciana Wagner from Lake Linden Highschool.
Thank you to also her art teacher Heather French.

Michigan Tech's 2025 Parade of Nations is excited to announce our annual logo design contest for our amazing local K-12 Keweenaw student artists!

This year, our theme is "Games from Around the World" — exploring the celebrations and holidays that bring cultures joy, connection and community.

The logo should be submitted as either a drawn and colored design (using a maximum of five solid colors and no shading on untextured white paper) or a high-resolution digital scan/upload of original artwork (at least 300 DPI). The designer should sign their name outside the main artwork. Any graphics must be original and not downloaded from the web.

The deadline for logo contest submissions is June 15th. The winning logo artist will be awarded $300, and their logo will be put on the official 2025 Parade of Nations stickers, pins and marketing materials.

Please email logo submissions to ips@mtu.edu with a subject line reading "Attention - Mariana Nakashima - Logo Contest."

Information about the Festival

The Festival of Nations will be held on Saturday, September 19th, 2026 from Noon to 4PM! The parade itself will be replaced with an expanded multicultural festival! In collaboration with the City of Houghton, we will extend the multicultural festival from the Dee Stadium towards the Houghton Waterfront Pier adjacent to the Portage Lake Library. The pier will hold our international entertainment as well as an array of local vendors, community displays and all sorts of fun games and activities for the kids! Following the vendor area, local food trucks will line up between the Michigan Tech Lakeshore Center and the Dee Stadium, where an array of dishes will be prepared by various student organizations. We hope that this expansion will bridge the gap of communication between international students and the general community.

The Multicultural Festival begins at noon at the Dee Stadium. For just $10 to $15, you can get a full meal or choose from international tidbits at more than a dozen food booths with international student organizations offering the cuisine of their countries. (Please note that this price is just an estimate. Actual prices for the food items are set by each student organization separately, and the Festival of Nations Committee has no control over it. Prices may vary depending on inflation, cost of raw materials, etc.)

For more information about anything, contact Festival of Nations at paradeofnations@mtu.edu, or call 906-487-2160. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for important updates!